Brown, Charles

Charles Brown (1820-1888) was a 49er who came to Santa Cruz from San Francisco in the early 1860s, having made a small fortune in the gold fields. In our county he became a financer of development projects, including the property on Laurel Street where R. C. Kirby built/expanded his tannery. Brown also financed construction of a Mission Street building that evolved into the St. Charles Hotel. Brown later ran out of money, and died in poverty.

• John L. Chase, The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter Four, item (10), page 86.
• History Pages: 15 - Uptown and Downtown