Yung See San Fong House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Yung See San Fong House
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Yung See San Fong House, 1980
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 Yung See San Fong House
Location in San Francisco Bay Area
Yung See San Fong House
Location in California
Yung See San Fong House
Location in the United States
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| Location | Los Gatos, California |
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| Built | 1917 |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001240 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 1983 |
The Yung See San Fong House, also known as "Young's Home in the Heart of the Hills," is a special house in Los Gatos, California. It mixes Asian design ideas, like pagoda roofs, with Western house styles. This unique home was finished in 1917. It was built for Ruth Comfort Mitchell Young, a writer, and her husband, Sanborn Young. Sanborn was a gentleman farmer (meaning he owned a farm but didn't do the hard labor himself), a conservationist (someone who protects nature), and later a California State Senator (a politician who helps make laws for California). Today, the house is a private home.
Contents
The Story of Yung See San Fong
Building a Dream Home
Ruth Comfort Mitchell Young spent her summers in Los Gatos. Her parents and grandparents also had summer homes there. In 1916, Ruth and Sanborn Young started building Yung See San Fong. The land was given to them by Ruth's parents.
Earlier that year, Ruth's play The Sweetmeat Game opened in New York City. It was shown at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. The play was set in China and became very popular. It toured around the country for two years.
Inspiration from China
The success of her play gave Ruth an idea. She wanted to combine the best of Chinese style with her own ideas of beauty and comfort. She used these ideas to build and furnish her new home. She even called her house a "bungahigh," which was her fun way of saying it was more than just a simple bungalow.
Chinese Traditions in Design
The Youngs followed many Chinese traditions when building their home. For example, the road leading to the house was made winding. This was believed to stop evil spirits from finding the house. Even today, a statue of the Chinese God of Rice and Plenty greets visitors at the main gate.
Materials and Interior Design
The house was built using materials like stucco (a type of plaster), wooden shake shingles, and board and batten siding. Inside, you can see hand-carved wooden panels with Chinese characters.
The rooms were filled with beautiful furniture. There were hand-carved teak tables and chairs in a Chinese style. The house also had many prints, embroideries, and works of art. The dining room was special. In summer, it had screens, and in winter, it had glass windows. The furniture in the dining room was made of woven sea grass, which was very fashionable at the time.
Life as a Self-Sustaining Farm
Yung See San Fong was more than just a house; it was a self-sustaining farm. This means they grew most of their own food. They raised vegetables and poultry (like chickens). Ruth Young once said, "We raise everything we eat but the staple groceries and the filet mignon."
A Chinese man named Gin managed the household until the late 1920s. He did many jobs, including cooking meals, planting the gardens, milking cows, and even helping with the home's decorations.
Famous Visitors to the House
The Youngs were important people in politics and their community. Because of this, many well-known people visited their home. One famous guest was President Herbert Hoover, who lived nearby in Palo Alto, California. Other visitors included movie stars Joan and Constance Bennett. Senator James D. Phelan, who used to be the Mayor of San Francisco, also visited.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.
