The Leland Stanford Mansion, often known simply as the Stanford Mansion, is a historic mansion and

California State Park The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, which serves as the official reception center for the

Californian government The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branch ...

and as one of the official workplaces of the

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...

. Built in 1856, the mansion was formerly the residence of

Leland Stanford Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824June 21, 1893) was an American industrialist and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 8th governor of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented California in the United States Se ...

, 8th Governor of California and founder of

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. The Stanford family donated the estate to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento The Diocese of Sacramento is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. The diocese's see is Sacramento, it is led by a bishop who pastors the mother church of ...

in 1900, which maintained a children's home on the estate until 1978. Subsequently, the Californian government purchased the property to serve as the Californian capital's ceremonial reception center and as a state park, officially known as the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park.

History

The original owner and builder of the home was Sacramento merchant Shelton C. Fogus, a wealthy Sacramento building merchant. The

Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

of the original home is attributed to Seth Babson, who later designed the E.B. Crocker residence and art gallery that are now part of the

Crocker Art Museum The Crocker Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Western United States, located in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1885, the museum holds one of the premier collections of Californian art. The collection includes American works dating f ...

Stanford family

, president of the

Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by Pacific Railroad Acts, U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in N ...

(one of the Big Four tycoons) and a rising member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, purchased the home for $8,000 () in June 1861, shortly before his election as California governor that year. During his two-year governorship, the Stanford Mansion served as the state's executive office and living quarters. Succeeding governors

Frederick Low Frederick Ferdinand Low (June 30, 1828July 21, 1894) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 9th Governor of California and a member of the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Born in Frankfort ...

and Henry Huntly Haight would also make the mansion their office. Between 1871 and 1872, the Stanford family embarked on an ambitious remodeling of the residence. As Stanford had had to attend his gubernatorial inauguration by rowboat in 1862, the home was raised twelve feet in response to frequent flooding from the Sacramento River. In addition, one story was added to both the bottom and top of the mansion. The home was also expanded from to , and redesigned to reflect the France, French Second Empire (architecture), Second Empire architecture popular of the period, particularly in the 4th floor Mansard roof that caps the home. The result was a four-story remodeled architectural sandwich in which the original 2-story house sat between the added floors. Following Stanford's death in 1893, his widow Jane Lathrop Stanford continued to oversee the home.

Diocese of Sacramento ownership

In 1900, Jane Stanford donated the home to the

to be used for the children of California. It was given to the Sisters of Mercy who ran it as an orphanage named the Stanford and Lathrop Memorial Home for Friendless Children. In 1932, the home was handed over the Sisters of Social Service who eventually transformed the mansion from an orphanage to a residence for dependent high school girls. A fire in the mansion in 1940 brought considerable damage to the fourth floor. The mansion was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1957 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Official reception house and state park

In 1978, the government of California acquired the property for use as a state park. The Sisters of Social Services would remain on the grounds until 1987, when California State Parks designated the mansion and the immediate surrounding land as a state historic park. Following the state's decision, the National Park Service declared the mansion as a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987. It was not until September 2005 that the mansion would finally be open to public tours, after $22 million worth of renovation and rehabilitation. The mansion is also the state's official reception center for leaders from around the world. Prior to the reopening of the mansion, California did not have a location for the hosting of official functions for nearly 40 years. Today the mansion is frequently used by the Government of California to host foreign dignitaries. The Governor also retains an office in the mansion. Tours of the mansion are offered daily but can be impacted by official functions on behalf of the Governor's Office or the California State Legislature leadership.

Restoration

Beginning in 1991, with the help of Sacramento businessman and former

professor Peter McCuen, the Stanford Mansion underwent a 14-year renovation at a cost of $22 million ($ million in ). Accurate restoration of the home and its rooms was aided by both an extensive study of the home in 1986 through the Historic American Buildings Survey, and through a large collection of photographs of the home taken in 1868 by Alfred A. Hart, and again in 1872 by Eadweard Muybridge. The repairs and restoration were completed in 2005, when the mansion opened to the public. California State Parks offers guided tours through the fully refurbished home. Rooms of the house have been restored to their 1872 appearance. The Leland Stanford Mansion is physically accessible, including the gardens, Visitor Center and restrooms. Elevators provide access to the upper floors of the mansion's tour route. A tactile model of the Mansion is also available in the Visitor Center.

References

External links

Leland Stanford Mansion State Park website

Leland Stanford Mansion Foundation website

Library of Congress "America's Memory" — Historic American Buildings Survey—HABS project files

: Stanford Mansion historic photo gallery
{{National Register of Historic Places in California California State Historic Parks Parks in Sacramento County, California Buildings and structures in Sacramento, California Houses in Sacramento County, California History of Sacramento, California 1856 establishments in California Houses completed in 1856 1957 establishments in California Protected areas established in 1957 California Historical Landmarks Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California, Stanford, Leland, Mansion National Register of Historic Places in Sacramento, California National Historic Landmarks in California Renaissance Revival architecture in California Second Empire architecture in California Museums in Sacramento, California Historic house museums in California Governor of California Gilded Age mansions