McHenry Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McHenry Mansion |
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The McHenry Mansion as it appeared in June 2010.
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| Location | 906 15th St. Modesto, California, U.S. |
| Built | 1883 |
| Built for | Robert McHenry |
| Restored | 1977–1983 (first restoration) 2011–2013 (second restoration) |
| Restored by | City of Modesto |
| Architect | Jeremiah Robinson |
| Architectural style(s) | Victorian and Italianate |
| Designated | 1978 |
| Reference no. | 78000805 |
The McHenry Mansion is a beautiful old house in Modesto, California. It was built a long time ago, in 1883. This mansion is special because it shows off two cool styles of architecture: Victorian and Italianate. Today, it's a historic house museum where you can learn about its history.
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Building the McHenry Mansion
In 1880, a man named Robert McHenry bought some land in Modesto. He wanted to build a big house there. He hired Jeremiah Robinson, a builder from Stockton, to design and construct it. Building started in 1882 and finished in 1883. The mansion was built in a fancy style called High Victorian Italianate. This style was very popular back then.
The McHenry Family Home
Robert McHenry lived in the mansion with his wife, Matilda. He lived there until he passed away in 1890. After Matilda died in 1896, their son Oramil McHenry moved in. He lived there with his wife Louise and their three children.
Oramil and Louise later divorced in 1901. Oramil then married Myrtie Conneau in 1902. Myrtie inherited the McHenry Mansion after Oramil died in 1906. He passed away from stomach cancer. The mansion changed hands again when Myrtie married William Langdon in 1908. The McHenry family lived in the mansion for 36 years. Three generations of the family called it home, from 1883 to 1919.
New Uses for the Mansion
After the McHenry family moved out, the mansion got new purposes. In 1919, it became a special care facility called the Elmwood Sanitarium. Then, in 1923, it was turned into apartments called the Langdon Apartments. It stayed an apartment building until 1976.
At that time, Modesto was losing many of its old buildings. So, Aileen and Julio Gallo bought the McHenry Mansion. They bought it through their foundation to save it. The mansion was carefully fixed up and opened to the public in 1983. Since then, it has been a historical landmark. You can even take tours there!
Restorations and Stories
In 2011, the front of the mansion was damaged by a big fire. But don't worry, it was restored again to look just like it did originally. Some people have also shared stories about unusual things happening at the mansion. These are just local legends and add to its interesting history.
