Dunlap is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Fresno County
Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populous city in Cali ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
It lies at an elevation of .
It has a population of 131. It is located approximately east of Fresno. In the 1800s Dunlap was a rest stop for passengers of the stage coach and a location for a change of horses.
St. Nicholas Ranch, a conference and retreat center run by the
Greek Orthodox Church
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...
, is a major attraction. The Greek Orthodox
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
(Convent) of the
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
, the Life-Giving Spring is also located there. Prior to the acquisition of the land by the ranch and the monastery, the land was known as the Sally K Ranch with two of the old ranch dwellings now being occupied by the ranch manager and assigned clergy. On the ranch property itself, there is an old barn, totally constructed of redwood, with a chapel inside (on the second floor). Referred to as "The Barn Church" or "St. Nicolas Chapel" by locals, the chapel has a minimalist design, and is home to a colony of bats. The extremely large barn itself was built in 1891 to house livestock, with the chapel being a much more recent addition. In the late 1800s the large barn was also used to store ice for the city of Fresno; the ice was cut in the winter, reportedly at nearby Hume Lake, and then the large blocks were moved to the barn. Although the barn is no longer used for livestock, the original enclosures are still there.
An attraction near to Dunlap on Highway 180 is the
Sierra Endangered Cat Haven. The
ZIP Code is 93621, and the community is inside
area code 559
Area code 559 is a California telephone area code that was split from area code 209 on November 14, 1998.
It covers the central San Joaquin Valley in central California, serving the counties of Fresno, Madera, Kings, and Tulare—an area large ...
.
The first post office was established in 1882, was closed for a time in 1885, and moved in 1898.
The name honors George Dunlap Moss, a school teacher instrumental in bringing a post office to the town.
Hye Camp, which was formerly owned by
Olympian Bob Mathias
Robert Bruce Mathias (November 17, 1930 – September 2, 2006) was an American decathlete, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the event, a United States Marine Corps officer, actor and United States Congressman representing the state of Califor ...
, is now owned and operated by the
Armenian Church of the Western Diocese as a youth camp and retreat center.
A female intern-volunteer was killed on March 6, 2013 by a lion at the Sierra Endangered Cat Haven animal park. The lion escaped from a feeding cage and attacked while she was cleaning his enclosure.
Climate
The
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
subtype for this climate is "
Csb" (Mediterranean Climate).
Climate Summary
/ref>
References
Further reading
''Oak to Pine to Timberline: Tale of Settlers and Sinners South of the Kings'' (1985), Helen Clingan and Forest Clingan.
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in California
Unincorporated communities in Fresno County, California
Mono tribe
Populated places established in 1882