The James Lick Mansion, in

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...

, United States, is the estate of

James Lick James Lick (August 25, 1796 – October 1, 1876) was an American real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death, Lick left the majority of his es ...

, who was the richest man in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

at the time of his death in 1876. The estate is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. This property was once part of the

Rancho Ulistac Rancho Ulistac was a Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Clara County, California, given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Marcello and Cristobal, Indians. The grant extended across lowlands reaching from the Alviso shoreline southward and ...

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

, a square

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

reaching from the Alviso shoreline southward and encompassing all the land between the Guadalupe River and Saratoga Creek.

History

Lick era

The complex of buildings reflects the varied uses of the property over its history. The major historical constructions are a brick

granary A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

and millpond from the original

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

built by James Lick around 1855, the large house built by Lick around 1858 and a late Victorian-era office building. Lick built this

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

Victorian mansion between 1858 and 1860 next to his flour mill. The mansion is constructed of native redwood featuring detailed woodwork and imported

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design ...

s in each of its 24 rooms. His farm background helped him realize the potential of the site for agricultural production. Around the mansion and mill, Lick developed a highly successful

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

operation and pioneered the introduction of new fruits and

horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

techniques. Imported specimens include the large

cork oak ''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...

s on the property planted by Lick himself and are still standing presently at the Mansion Grove property.

Later

An 1882 fire destroyed the mill and in 1902 the Lick Mill complex was converted to the manufacture of alcohol. A series of owners, including Union Distilling, Western Grain and Sugar Products, Western Carbonic Gas, American Salt and Chemical, and Commercial Solvents and Chemical, manufactured a wide variety of products at this location.

Present day

The Lick Mansion and grounds are located at 4101 Lick Mill Blvd., Santa Clara, on the grounds of the Mansion Grove Apartment complex. The grounds are now privately owned and closed to the public. The City of Santa Clara disputes this statement – although the property was recently purchased by a private owner, the grounds remain subject to a right of public access to visit this important historic resource.Maintenance Agreement recorded on October 20, 2003, Santa Clara County Recorder.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lick, James, Mansion Buildings and structures in Santa Clara, California History of Santa Clara County, California Houses completed in 1860 National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California Houses in Santa Clara County, California Italianate architecture in California Victorian architecture in California