Fountain & Tallman Museum
The oldest extant building on Placerville’s Main Street, and the pride of the El Dorado County HIstorical Society.
Circa 1852
The Fountain & Tallman building is a treasured historic museum in Placerville, El Dorado County, California, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is the site of John Fountain & Benjamin Tallman's Soda Works, which provided clean drinking water and refreshments to early Placerville and El Dorado County pioneers. Today, it is a museum and the home of the El Dorado County Historical Society.
The museum building style is called rock rubble construction and is a prime example of the first permanent buildings that transitioned Placerville from a mining camp into a proper town. The stone walls of the building are more than 2 feet (0.61 m) thick; sufficient to keep ice and soda supplies cool.
After the close of the soda water factory, the building served many different purposes for many different owners. At one time it was the town jail, the Pacific Gas & Electric Company office (1927-1961), and has had other associated uses and owners. When the building was donated to the El Dorado County Historical Society in 1981 by Fay Rupley Cannon, it became a museum upon the contingency that it be preserved for public benefit as a historical landmark, which was an earlier stipulation originating with the PG&E sale. When the building was renovated, lifting up the stone floor revealed a bowie knife (handle long since rotted away), flakes of gold, and pieces of broken glass soda bottles with the original building owner's mark intact. These items are still on display in the museum.
The building was converted into a museum by the generosity of many donors including using funds from the estate of Placerville native, Stella Tracy. Originally called the Placerville Historical Museum, it contains some of Tracy's turn-of-the-century furniture and photos as well as other exhibits of 19th- and 20th-century memorabilia.
Step back in time to the era of tailfins, neon signs, and the post-war boom that reshaped El Dorado County.
Dates: June 13 – August 1, 2026
Location: Fountain & Tallman Museum
Get ready to experience the sights, sounds, and stories of the 1950s and 1960s in our brand-new summer exhibit, "Mid-Century El Dorado." This immersive retrospective explores a transformative era in El Dorado County's history. From the bustling diners and classic cars to the distinct architectural styles that defined the generation, discover the local figures, pop culture, and establishments that made the 1950s and 60s unforgettable!
Exhibit Highlights Include:
The Transformation of Placerville: Discover our major focus on the evolution of Main Street and Broadway. See rare footage and photographs of how Placerville's commercial hubs adapted to the mid-20th-century boom, featuring the beloved restaurants and classic storefronts of the era.
An Explosion of Development: Explore the striking mid-century aesthetics that fueled the development of El Dorado County's new residential communities. We will highlight the distinct mid-mod architecture that took root in South Lake Tahoe, as well as the suburban lifestyle shifts that created El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park.
Cruising in Style: Get up close with the car culture of the 50s and 60s, a defining characteristic of local teenage life and family travel during the golden age of the American automobile.
Local Legends & Pop Culture: Learn about the key figures who shaped the county during these two decades and see how national pop culture trends made their way into our local everyday life.
Whether you lived through the era or simply love the atomic-age aesthetic, "Mid-Century El Dorado" offers a nostalgic and educational journey through a vibrant chapter of our local history.
Plan Your Visit! Join us at the F&T starting June 13, 2026, to celebrate the mid-century magic of El Dorado County.