Ralston Hall Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

William C. Ralston House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Ralston Hall
Ralston Hall Location in San Francisco Bay Area Show map of San Francisco Bay Area Ralston Hall Location in California Show map of California Ralston Hall Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Belmont, California
Area	4 acres (1.6 ha)
Built	1864
Architect	Henry Cleaveland
Architectural style	Victorian-Italianate Villa
NRHP reference No.	66000234
Added to NRHP	November 15, 1966
Designated NHL	November 13, 1966

Ralston Hall Mansion is a beautiful old house in Belmont, California. It used to be the country home of William Chapman Ralston. He was a very important businessman in San Francisco. He started the Bank of California and helped fund the famous Comstock Lode silver mines.

The mansion is built in a grand style called Italianate Villa. It also has special touches from Steamboat Gothic and Victorian designs. Ralston Hall is a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical place. Today, it is part of Notre Dame de Namur University.

The Grand Mansion

Ralston Hall Mansion is located on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University. This is on the San Francisco Peninsula. The mansion was built around an older house that belonged to Count Leonetto Cipriani.

It took three years to build Ralston Hall. It was finished in 1867. Back then, many rich and important people from San Francisco had large summer homes in this area. These homes were a big part of their social life.

John Painter Gaynor was likely the architect who worked on the mansion. He later helped Ralston design the famous Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Some parts of Ralston Hall Mansion's design were even used in the Palace Hotel.

People at the time described Ralston Hall as very grand. One history book said it had a special oval ballroom with a domed roof. The walls were covered in mirrors. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the painted ceiling. Its lights sparkled everywhere, making it a perfect place for a ball.

The Hall is a huge house with four floors. It is about 55,000 square feet. Inside, you can find a fancy dining room and a mirrored ballroom. This ballroom was inspired by the famous Palace of Versailles in France. There is also an opera box that looks like the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

The mansion has a grand staircase and 23 crystal chandeliers. The floors are made of beautiful wood with special designs. William Ralston really admired the Palace of Versailles. He included many ideas from that palace in his mansion's design.

Ralston Hall has many elegant sitting rooms and parlors. One room, the Oriental Music Room, has special Chinese high-tea chairs. The mansion also holds many old items collected by Ralston. These include valuable paintings by Thomas Hill.

Outside the mansion, there are many gardens. You can find a stone grotto and a garden with 150-year-old bamboo trees.

What the Mansion Was Used For

After William Ralston passed away, his business partner, William Sharon, took over the estate. William Sharon was a United States Senator from Nevada. His family lived in the house for some time.

Senator Sharon's daughter, Flora, had her wedding at the mansion. It was a very fancy event in the ballroom. She married an Englishman named Sir Thomas George Fermor-Hesketh, 7th Baronet, of Rufford.

After Senator Sharon died in 1885, the mansion became Radcliffe Hall. This was a school for girls. From 1900 to 1922, it was used as the Gardner Sanitarium, which was a type of health retreat.

Since 1922, Ralston Hall has been part of Notre Dame de Namur University. It used to be called the College of Notre Dame. Today, the mansion houses the admissions office for the university. It is also rented out for special events like weddings.

Many famous people were guests at Ralston Hall over the years. Some of them include:

A view of Ralston Hall Mansion.

Ralston Hall facts for kids

The Grand Mansion

What the Mansion Was Used For

See also