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Plentiful sunshine. High 94F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..
A clear sky. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
The hilltop where ceremonies are held gives a 360-degree-view of the raw beauty of the land, with wild grass, trees, and Butte Mountain in the distance.
Freestanding 11-foot-tall doors imported from Egypt open out to the expansive view, reminding couples, “this is what it’s about…the people who came here to be with you, the commitment that you’re making…that you’re here on this hill by the grace of God,” says Hughart.
Quartz Hill Estates offers just six all-inclusive weddings per year, with “full planning, DJ, floral, linen, tablescapes, dinner, and lodging,” according to their website.
The historical Cook House is now a cozy “Hen’s Den” where the bridal party can have sleepovers on wood palette beds in the upstairs “barracks,” eat breakfast at the big, round dining table amongst white-washed walls, and get dressed together in a sunlit back room.
This photo, taken in 1984, shows the Cook House and its barn (upper left) at the Lower Italian Gardens site before the barn was destroyed in 1999 by then-owner, EMCO High Voltage Corp.
The hilltop where ceremonies are held gives a 360-degree-view of the raw beauty of the land, with wild grass, trees, and Butte Mountain in the distance.
Freestanding 11-foot-tall doors imported from Egypt open out to the expansive view, reminding couples, “this is what it’s about…the people who came here to be with you, the commitment that you’re making…that you’re here on this hill by the grace of God,” says Hughart.
Quartz Hill Estates offers just six all-inclusive weddings per year, with “full planning, DJ, floral, linen, tablescapes, dinner, and lodging,” according to their website.
The historical Cook House is now a cozy “Hen’s Den” where the bridal party can have sleepovers on wood palette beds in the upstairs “barracks,” eat breakfast at the big, round dining table amongst white-washed walls, and get dressed together in a sunlit back room.
This photo, taken in 1984, shows the Cook House and its barn (upper left) at the Lower Italian Gardens site before the barn was destroyed in 1999 by then-owner, EMCO High Voltage Corp.
Jessica Hughart and partner Greg Kuntz bought the “Cook House” at the historic Lower Italian Gardens site in November of 2021, just a stone’s throw from their own home in Mokelumne Hill.
The couple wanted to “create this really great, loving space,” says Hughart, and needed a change of pace. After a back injury resulting from a car crash, Hughart found she just couldn’t do the long, hard days she had as a successful full-service wedding planner in her previous business. Instead, the duo would create a unique wedding destination that honors the area’s heritage while offering couples and their families a beautiful, customizable space, right here in Calaveras County.
Quartz Hill Estates offers just six all-inclusive weddings per year, with “full planning, DJ, floral, linen, tablescapes, dinner, and lodging,” according to their website. Alternatively, couples can purchase the venue-only option, which includes “lodging, tables, and chairs, access to the ranch for 48 hrs.”
Lodging at the 13-acre parcel that makes up Quartz Hill Estates includes two houses. The designated historical building called “Cook House,” which was once home to the Levezzo and other Italian immigrant farming families, is now a cozy “Hen’s Den” where the bridal party can have sleepovers on wood palette beds in the upstairs “barracks,” eat breakfast at the big, round dining table amongst white-washed walls, and get dressed together in a sunlit back room. There is a separate bedroom downstairs, reserved for the mother of the bride.
The second house, a cozy one-bedroom cabin, is a bridal suite where the happy couple can spend the evening before and after their wedding. Old clawfoot soaking tubs sit on the covered porch, overlooking the scenic surroundings.
The property at 8970 Center Street in Mokelumne Hill is rich in relics of the past, including a 2,400-foot mine shaft on the hillside with quartz tailings left behind, inspiring the name Quartz Hill Estates. Other remnants of history include planks from a wooden barn, which was torn down in 1998 by then-owner EMCO High Voltage Corp. The salvaged barn wood has been turned into “true farm tables” for the outdoor reception area, which seats up to 150 guests and has a dance floor, surrounded by a shade structure with billowing curtains.
Hughart and Kuntz have plans to build a replica of the original barn that stood on the hill behind Cook House, to be utilized as an indoor reception area at future events. The iconic barn can be seen in historical photos and has been memorialized along with other landmark features in a mosaic mural that is under construction in Shutter Tree Park.
Once there was a stone bread oven, built by Italian immigrant Albert Trabucco, who also built the one that remains intact on a ranch across the street. While the oven at Cook House was dismantled decades ago, there is record of its existence thanks to local historian and archaeologist Julia Costello, who documented it in 1984.
The estate boasts heritage olive trees, grapevines, and apple trees, along with meadows that double as parking lots for guests, when horses aren’t grazing in them.
While much of the surrounding landscape appears untouched, Hughart has planted patches of wildflowers like poppies, blue cornflowers, and daisies, in hopes of providing year-round color and beauty for their guests. Still, the hilltop where the ceremony is held gives a 360-degree-view of the raw beauty of the land, with wild grass, trees, and Butte Mountain in the distance.
Freestanding 11-foot-tall doors imported from Egypt open out to the expansive view, reminding couples, “this is what it’s about…the people who came here to be with you, the commitment that you’re making…that you’re here on this hill by the grace of God,” says Hughart.
To inspire guests to reflect on matters of the heart, Hughart added pews she salvaged from a church in downtown Valley Springs.
Eventually, an iron frame “church” will be built at the location but will feature open walls and roof, more like an art sculpture than an actual building.
“It doesn’t matter what God,” said Hughart, who hopes that the ambiance they’ve provided will help guests to disconnect from the stress of planning and instead connect with their loved ones. “We really want to help them with the success of their marriage…be more in the moment, instead of controlling the moment.”
Hughart also wants her couples to “remember that the way a marriage is successful is by the people that help you,” hoping they take the chance to “learn to lean on the people that are here to support you,” and perhaps most of all, enjoy making new memories together during their stay.
With its one-year anniversary quickly approaching, Quartz Hill Estates is looking to the future. Plans include a few more weddings before cold weather hits, continued work on landscaping and hardscaping the grounds, the aforementioned barn restoration, and some community events including a summertime farmer’s market where visitors can pick their own wildflowers from the grounds.
To follow their progress or get in touch with Quartz Hill Estates, visit their website at quartzhillestatesweddings.com or follow on Instagram @Quartz_Hill_Estates.
Marie-Elena studied creative writing, art, and photography at University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating with a BA in Studio Art -Visual Media. She moved to California from Nebraska in 2019 and is happy to call Calaveras County her home.
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