Within two years of their marriage they both had died. A daughter by an earlier marriage sold the estate to the Hellman family which used it as a summer residence for 50 years. The estate (now only 40 acres) is now owned by the city of Oakland and managed by its Parks and Recreation Department. A nonprofit group is dedicated to the restoration and maintenance of the house and grounds. The Dunsmuir mansion has been designated a National Historic Site by the United States Department of the Interior and both the mansion and the Carriage House have been designated Historic Landmarks by the City of Oakland. Linked to ABC Wednesday.
Beautiful place, I could live there...
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful! But such a sad story to go with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a building!
ReplyDeleteA grand design and all those extensive verandahs and balconies! It seems built to see the view from every angle!
ReplyDeleteI 'd live there IF someone else did the hard work of housecleaning.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC Wednesday team
That´s such a beautiful house. Greetings.
ReplyDeleteGood one for 'D' -- very interesting. Can you imagine this place on 400+ acres back in the day? Wow. Nice to hear the city partnered with a nonprofit to restore and maintain it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a place! Amazing they died just 2 years into establishing themselves there and as a couple. How nice it's now publicly owned.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful house, it's amazing how well preserved it is. ;-)
ReplyDeletereally grand house.. is this house related in anyway to the city of Dunsmuir further north of here in California..
ReplyDeleteone more place to visit for me in Oakland..
Now, that was a lucky bride! :-) What a gorgeous house!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I'm glad no one's built me a house like that...seems when that happens the marriage either breaks up or they both die...
ReplyDeleteI'll stick to what I've got thank you!!!
What a gorgeous building!
ReplyDeleteHas the look of a funeral home. Beauty!
ReplyDeleteWell, that'll show 'em how to spend their money.
ReplyDeleteI would never have guessed this was in California. More like something Virginia would show us on an Alabama plantation.
What an interesting history and beautiful property, and how sad that the original owners were able to enjoy it for only 2 short years before their death!
ReplyDeleteit's a castel
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame the original owners didn't get to enjoy it for long before they died. It's a lovely mansion.
ReplyDeletesort of Colonial-Victorian looking. Died within two years of their marriage? They hardly had time to use all the rooms.
ReplyDeleteIt's exquisite! I'm glad it's being preserved!
ReplyDelete