Weaverville's commercial core has changed surprisingly little since the 1880s. The street is lined with brick and wood-frame buildings that survived the fires that destroyed so many Gold Rush towns — in part because Weaverville's relative isolation meant there was less pressure to redevelop. Many of the storefronts retain their original covered wooden sidewalks, a practical feature in the rainy mountain climate. The courthouse at the east end of Main Street dates to 1856, making it one of the oldest still-functioning courthouses in California. Walking the street takes perhaps 20 minutes, but the cumulative effect — no chain stores, no franchise architecture — makes it feel more authentically 19th-century than most preserved historic districts.