Kruger House (Truckee, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kruger House
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| Location | 10292 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, California |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Eastlake Style-Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002220 |
| Added to NRHP | June 17, 1982 |
The Kruger House (also known as the C.B. White House) is a historic building in Truckee, California. It is located at 10292 Donner Pass Road.
This large house was built in 1873 or 1874 by W. H. Kruger. He was a partner in the Truckee Lumber Company at the time. The house was first designed as a home for one family. It was built in the Queen Anne Eastlake Victorian style. Later, in the early 1900s, it became a hotel.
Today, after being restored, the building has a restaurant and a special store. It is in the Brickelltown area, just west of downtown Truckee. In 1982, the Kruger House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places important to American history.
Contents
History of the Kruger House
The Kruger Family's Home
William Henry Kruger built this large house for his wife and their six children. It is said that Mr. Kruger brought fourteen skilled workers from Austria to help build it. Henry Kruger was born in Germany in 1830. He came to America in 1852.
He worked in mining and business. He also owned part of a sawmill. He lived in different towns before settling in Truckee. There, he became half-owner of the very successful Truckee Lumber Company. His business partner was E. J. Brickell, who gave his name to that part of town. Their company had one of the best mills in the area. They also sold the newest and best materials for building and decorating homes.
Henry Kruger passed away in 1891. He left a large fortune to his wife and children. His wife, Mary Adella Richardson Kruger, lived to be 93 years old. She died in 1940. Many of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren still live in California today.
The White Family and the Hotel Years
Charles Bernard White bought the Kruger House in November 1904. He was a leader at Bank of America and an important person in Truckee. He bought the house for his wife, Belle, and their baby son, C. B. White, Junior. Belle White was a beauty queen when she was young. She was also a talented piano player. She taught piano lessons in their home for many years. Old-timers in Truckee still talk about the large piano and beautiful furniture in the "White House."
Charles White later helped with the Lincoln Highway project in Truckee. His son, Barney White Jr., became a civil engineer. He was also a long-time leader of a banjo players' group.
In the early 1900s, the White family opened their home to guests. This helped with the shortage of places to stay in Truckee. From 1912 to the late 1920s, the "White House Hotel" welcomed the first cars traveling over Donner Pass. Many important early residents of Lake Tahoe stayed there. You can find their names in the original White House Hotel Register, starting in July 1912.
After the late 1920s, the house became a single-family home again. Over time, it was empty for a while and started to fall apart in the mid-1900s.
Bringing the House Back to Life
Zena Krakowsky, a long-time resident and businessperson in Truckee, led a big project to restore the house. This careful restoration took seven years. Every detail was important. They matched the old carpets and wallpaper. They also mixed special paints to make the inside look just right. All parts of the house were fixed, including the fancy wood trim and stained-glass windows.
During this project, the building was updated to meet modern safety rules. This was so Ms. Krakowsky could open it to the public. In 1980, she opened an antique shop and a fancy restaurant there. Because of the high quality of the restoration, the Kruger-White House received a special honor in 1982. It was the first property in the area to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This happened on June 17, 1982. Ms. Krakowsky ran businesses in the house from 1973 to 1995.
After the house was restored, the original "White House Hotel Sign" and the hotel register were found. Other old items found in the basement were also given to the Truckee-Donner Historical Society.
Recent Restoration Efforts
In 2015, Tanya Thayer and Aaron Bigelow bought the C.B. White House. The house was in very poor condition and was rotting. The old Carriage House next to it was also in bad shape. After many years of little care, the buildings had started to collapse.
Aaron Bigelow of Bigelow Construction had a lot of experience fixing old buildings. He began the difficult job of saving this important piece of Truckee history. The goal was to restore as much as possible to its original look. They used old photos and got help from the Truckee Historic Society.
The Town of Truckee considers this building one of its most important historic structures. It is the oldest standing original home in Truckee. It is also one of the least changed buildings from its original design. The Town of Truckee now has a Town Council and a Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC). This committee gives advice on changes and restoration methods. Before 1993, many historic buildings were changed or torn down without protection. The White House was lucky to survive and now has these protections.
The restoration project faced many challenges. After a few years of planning and meetings, the project was approved. The major renovation began. Every detail was carefully planned to remove, restore, and replace parts of the building. Modern building materials were used to make the house stronger. However, the original look was kept, including the moldings and trim.
A lot of money was spent to make sure the historic home was fixed the right way. The goal was for it to last another 140 years. The Bigelow/Thayer team wanted to protect this rare piece of old Truckee history for future generations to enjoy. When you see the White House, you can imagine what it was like when it was new. It was a central part of a busy town known for lumber, ice, and railroads. You can think about the hard-working people who lived in this mountain area long ago.
