Corte Madera (/ˈkɔːrtə məˈdɛrə/; Spanish for "Chop Wood") is an incorporated town in Marin County, California.

Corte Madera is located 3.25 miles (5.2 km) south of San Rafael,[7] at an elevation of 39 feet (12 m).

The town was named after the Spanish imperative command "chop wood", as the area was famous for producing redwood tree lumber which was used in the construction of the city of San Francisco.

Reed quickly took to the lumber industry, logging the area's immense supply of redwoods and shipping the lumber to San Francisco by way of Corte Madera Creek — some of this wood was used to build the Presidio in San Francisco; the town's growth continued.

By 1875, the North Pacific Coast Railroad set its tracks through Corte Madera, allowing flatcars to haul lumber, and later, passenger trains to service commuters to and from San Francisco, aided in its early stages by the Sausalito ferry.

In 1885, a New England lawyer, Frank Morrison Pixley, was guaranteed a title for 160 acres (0.65 km2) from Reed's daughter, Hilarita.

(Pixley later practiced law in San Francisco, became involved in local politics and founded an esteemed magazine called The Argonaut, whose writers included Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce.)

The population continued to grow (eventually exploding after construction of the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937).

The first business structure in Corte Madera was a hotel and tavern just south of the train station, built by Jerry Adams of Switzerland in 1898.

The three-story building still exists today on First Street, between Corte Madera Avenue and Montecito Drive, and these days houses a beauty salon, an architectural sheet metal firm and a number of residential apartments.

[8] Across from the railroad station, a huge barn was built in 1898, and was used as a livery stable, handy for horses to haul goods from nearby mines and for local freight delivery from the trains.

After renovations, the barn exists today at the corner of Tamalpais Drive and Serra Street as a luxurious spa and full-service beauty salon.

He was also a telegrapher and, along with his brother Foster, Del operated the local telephone agency, the post office and a sweets shop in their building next to the Episcopal Church.

Established in 1916 and preserved by the Women's Club, Railroad Park is located in the northwest quadrant of the old train station square.

Several homes constructed during that time pay tribute to the New England-influenced architecture of the late 1880s, and can still be seen in the Old Square's surrounding neighborhoods.

[9] The Fourth of July celebration—joining Corte Madera and its "twin city", Larkspur—draws thousands of spectators and residents from all over the Bay Area.

During the Parade, winning baseball teams are in the parade, such as the minors Indians, in 2015 From the 1950s until the early 1970s, Holy Innocents Episcopal Parish held an Epiphany pageant with all of the church's younger members costumed and singing, followed by a Christmas tree bonfire in the triangle outside of the church.

The rector of the church, Reverend Todd Ewald, chose to discontinue the bonfire in the early 1970s, saying he wanted to do it voluntarily before the growing environmental movement forced the change.

The Old Corte Madera Town Square, surrounding Piccolo Pavilion, is home to the historic buildings mentioned in this article as well as local shops including hair salons, consignment stores, arts classrooms, and Swedish textile products.