Dunsmuir House facts for kids
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Dunsmuir House
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| Location | Oakland, California |
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| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | J. Eugene Freeman |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000214 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1972 |
The Dunsmuir House and Gardens is a beautiful historic estate in Oakland, California. It's also known as the Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate. This amazing place covers about 50 acres (20 hectares) of land. The house itself is built in a special style called Neoclassical Revival. It's so important that it's listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Today, people use the Dunsmuir House for special events like weddings, parties, and fun historical reenactments.
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History of Dunsmuir House
Building the Dunsmuir Estate
The Dunsmuir House was built in 1899. It was created by Alexander Dunsmuir. Alexander was the son of Robert Dunsmuir, a very rich coal businessman from Victoria, BC. Alexander moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1878. He came to manage his family's business there.
Alexander planned for the house to be a wedding gift for his new wife. Sadly, he never got to live in it with her. He became sick and passed away during their honeymoon in New York. His wife returned to live in the home. However, she also passed away soon after, in 1901.
The Hellman Family Era
In 1906, I.W. Hellman Jr. bought the estate. He was a banker and bought it as a summer home for his family. By 1913, the mansion was updated. This was done to fit the larger Hellman family. It also made space for the many items they collected from their trips to Europe.
Mrs. Hellman continued to live at the estate for many years. She stayed there even after her husband passed away in 1920. During her time, new things were added. These included a swimming pool and the Dinkelspiel House. A lot of the landscape on the northern part of the estate was also developed.
Becoming a Public Treasure
In the early 1960s, the City of Oakland bought the mansion and its lands. The city wanted to use it as a conference center. When that plan didn't work out, a special group was formed in 1971. This non-profit organization wanted to save and restore the estate. Their goal was to make it available for everyone to enjoy. For many years, this group and the City of Oakland worked together to run the estate.
In June 1989, the non-profit group took over most of the daily tasks. They officially named the grounds the Dunsmuir House and Gardens. Its main purpose became to be a place for education, history, culture, and gardening. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both the mansion and the Carriage House are also special Historic Landmarks for the City of Oakland.
Exploring the Grounds and Gardens
The Dunsmuir gardens are truly beautiful. It is believed that John McLaren helped design them. He was a famous landscape architect for Golden Gate Park. The gardens have many different kinds of trees. These include Camperdown Elms, Bunya-Bunya, and Hornbeam trees.
The Hellman estate also had many fun features. There was a golf course and a formal croquet court. It also had a tennis court and a swimming pool. The pool had a bathhouse built in the Mission style. There was a glass conservatory with a grotto. An elaborate aviary, a formal garden maze, and a Japanese garden were also part of the estate. Today, you might even see deer, wild turkeys, and water fowl living there.
The Grand Dunsmuir Mansion
The Dunsmuir mansion was designed by architect J. Eugene Freeman from San Francisco. It is a great example of Neoclassical-Revival architecture. This style was very popular in the late 1800s. The mansion has 37 rooms and is very large, covering 16,224 square feet.
Inside, you'll find 10 fireplaces. There's also a beautiful Tiffany-style dome. Many of the public rooms have fancy wood panels. The floors feature detailed inlaid parquet designs. The house even had special areas for 12 live-in staff members.
What Happens at Dunsmuir Today?
Tours and Events
Today, friendly guides called docents lead tours of the estate grounds. They also show visitors the 37-room Dunsmuir Mansion. These tours happen on Wednesdays and the first Sunday of each month. They are available from April through September, except for July.
The non-profit organization also rents out the property. You can rent all or part of it for different events. These include weddings, company gatherings, auctions, and historical reenactment events.
Dunsmuir House in Movies and TV
The Dunsmuir estate has also been a popular spot for filming. It has been used as a location or background for several movies and television shows. Some of these include:
- Burnt Offerings (1976)
- Phantasm (1979)
- Partners in Crime (1984)
- A View to a Kill (1985)
- The Vineyard (1989)
- So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
- Nash Bridges (1996)
- Gloria (1999)
- True Crime (1999)
- Case #13 (2014)
- Delirium (2018)
