1879
It all started in 1879 in Grosio, a small village north of Lake Como in Northern Italy, where James Ghilotti, our first owner, was born. It would be through James’ determination and grit that Ghilotti Construction Company would become what it is today.
Early 1900s
James worked in the Kimberly Diamond Mines in the early 1900s in South Africa until he received a letter from his uncle telling him of the fortune or la fortuna that awaited him in California, where his uncle had immigrated some years earlier. Coming from an extensive line of stone masons and master craftsmen, James was no stranger to challenging work; some could say it ran in his blood.
Coming to America
This legacy would help carry him forward to America, where he permanently settled down in San Rafael a year after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake with his wife Amalia and six-month-old son William, who they affectionately called “Willy.”
Growing Family
In the years that followed landing in San Rafael, James and Amalia would welcome three more sons and a daughter to their family. With a growing family, James needed a way to support them. One way he did this was by owning a tavern and boardinghouse, alongside his brothers, on Fourth Street in San Rafael, creating a home for Italian laborers.
1914 Ghilotti Construction
Established
Many of these laborers would become James’ first employees in his masonry startup: James Ghilotti Contractor Stone and Cement Work, which saw its birth in 1914 after James exited the tavern and boardinghouse business. Through providing meals to the laborers, a roof over their heads, and a place to work, one could argue that theGhilotti Family Spirit started there in 1914. From the tavern to stone and concrete work, the heart of Ghilotti Construction was established.
