Henry Gage Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henry Gage Mansion |
|
|---|---|
Lugo family members at their home in Bell Gardens
|
|
| Location | 7000 E. Gage, Bell Gardens, California |
| Built | 1810 |
| Designated | May 26, 1989 |
| Reference no. | 984 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
.JPG)
The Henry Gage Mansion, also known as the Casa de Rancho San Antonio, is a very old and important house. It's the oldest house still standing in Los Angeles County. This historic home was finished in 1810 and is located in the city of Bell Gardens, California.
The Henry Gage Mansion was named a California Historic Landmark (No. 984) on May 26, 1989. This means it's officially recognized as a special place in California's history.
Contents
The Henry Gage Mansion: A Historic Home
This amazing house has a long and interesting story. It connects us to the early days of California, even before it became part of the United States.
Building a Legacy: The Lugo Family
The story of the house begins with the Lugo family. Francisco Salvador Lugo and his son, Antonio María Lugo, started building the Casa de Rancho San Antonio in 1795. They built it on a large piece of land called Rancho San Antonio.
Antonio María Lugo was an important person. He was a former Spanish colonial soldier. He also served as the Alcalde (which means Mayor) of Los Angeles. He finished building the house in 1810. After that, he received a special land grant from the Spanish king. He named his new land grant Rancho San Antonio.
A Huge Ranch
The Rancho San Antonio grew to be huge! It was about 29,513 acres (119 square kilometers). This huge ranch included land that is now many different cities. These cities include Bell Gardens, Commerce, and parts of Bell, Cudahy, Lynwood, Montebello, South Gate, Vernon, and East Los Angeles.
When California became part of the U.S. in 1850, the Lugo family started to lose parts of their land. More and more new people moved to California. But the original adobe house, where the family lived, stayed with them.
The Governor's Home: Henry Gage
By 1865, most of the Lugo ranch had been sold off. But the original adobe ranch home remained in the family. In 1880, a lawyer named Henry Gage came to California from Michigan. He married one of Lugo's great-granddaughters, Francis "Fanny" Rains.
The Lugo family gave the original adobe ranch home to Henry Gage as a wedding gift. This is why it became known as the Gage Mansion. When Henry Gage got the house, he worked hard to fix it up. He wanted to restore this old farmhouse, which was an important part of early Los Angeles history.
Gage's Life and Work
Henry Gage, his wife Margaret, and their family lived in the house from 1883 to 1924. In 1898, Henry Gage was elected to be the 20th Governor of California. He served as Governor from 1899 to 1903.
Later, in 1910, President William Howard Taft asked him to be the U.S. Minister to Portugal. This was a very important job, representing the U.S. in another country. However, Henry Gage resigned after only one year. He left the job because his wife was having health problems. Henry Gage continued to live in the adobe ranch house until he passed away in 1924.
Saving the Mansion
Today, the city of Bell Gardens has only a small part of the original Lugo land grant. This small part is where the Casa Mobile Home Park is located, at 7000 Gage Avenue. The Henry Gage Mansion is also on this property.
In 1991, the people who lived in the mobile home park worked together. They owned the land and Lugo's original house as a group. They successfully got the Casa de San Antonio named State Historical Monument No. 984. This important effort helps make sure that Don Antonio Maria Lugo's name and his historic home will be saved for future generations. It's a way to preserve history for everyone in Bell Gardens and California.
A Community Effort
By 1983, the Gage Mansion was almost all that was left of the huge Rancho San Antonio. The Casa Mobile Home Park is a group of mobile home owners who rent spaces on the property. In 1983, they bought the land and the house from their landlord. They knew the house was historically important, but they didn't have the money to keep it up.
In 1987, Bell Gardens City Councilwoman Letha Viles started working to get the house listed on the state historical registry. This listing would make the house eligible for special grants to help pay for its care.
It's interesting to note that the Avila Adobe, built in 1818, is the oldest house still standing in the City of Los Angeles. The Henry Gage Mansion is the oldest in the wider Los Angeles County.
Images for kids
-
Antonio María Lugo, a prominent Californio ranchero, began building Casa de Rancho San Antonio in 1795.
-
The Casa Mobile Home co-op site, where the Henry Gage Mansion is located.
