History Center Update
By Candace Bowers MVHA President
It ’ s always exciting to receive a phone call out of the blue that begins , “ Hello , my name is _____ Stierlin ” or “ This is _____ Castro .” So when the History Center was contacted recently by a member of the Whisman family , asking whether we ’ d be interested in some of their family photos , we were thrilled to say yes . They kindly sent us several items of family memorabilia for our collection .
We ’ ve also received an anonymous donation of photographs that show the ground-breaking and construction of Eagle Park .
Immigrant House Update
By Marina Marinovich Publicity Chair & Hannah Hasbun
Financial Report
By John Figueroa Treasurer
Checking Account Balance as of 6 / 8 / 16 : $ 13,083.91
• Income : $ 261.18
• Expenses : $ 2,034.42 Checking Account Balance as of 8 / 31 / 16 : $ 11,310.67
Certificates of Deposit Balance as of 3 / 9 / 16 : $ 71,867.07 Certificates of Deposit Balance as of 8 / 31 / 16 : $ 71,893.83
We are pleased to announce that after great collaboration between the City of Mountain View and Santa Clara County and much community effort , Mountain View ’ s historic Immigrant House has settled into its new home . From its original location on Bryant Street , now the site of a new office building , and after a three-year hiatus in storage at the Municipal Operations Center , the 400-square-foot cottage was safely relocated 2.5 miles away to the new Heritage Park site at 771 N . Rengstorff Ave on August 8 . The trip went smoothly thanks to extensive caution and sophisticated methods used to transport it in one piece .
The city has hired an architect experienced with historic structures to ensure the building meets the rehabilitation standards set by the Secretary of the Interior . Amazingly , upon removing the dry wall in the restoration process , six layers of wallpaper possibly dating back to the 1860s were discovered . The beautifully unique wallpaper offers a glimpse of the original decor of the houses ’ parlor and kitchen . It was determined that the first layer was applied when the house was first built .
Additionally , when the sheetrock in the kitchen was removed , long-forgotten artifacts were uncovered . Among these artifacts was an old Dixie ice cream cup lid , such as one might find on an ice cream packed in a school lunch with a wooden spoon inside . In the 1940s , movie stars were printed on the insides of these lids and were collected with incentives like a free poster , similar to the way baseball cards are collected . The found lid features a headshot of Roy Rogers , dating it to around 1943 . The going theory is that children living in the house saved the lids . This leads us to believe that at some point Immigrant House may have acted as additional storage for the main house on the corner .
Senior Project Manager Rey Rodriguez agreed that the wallpaper unveiling was fascinating . Even more interesting “ has been the history uncovered on the people who lived in the house ,” he mused . “ All of that is based on the census that I ’ ve looked at over the years , and some sleuthing .” He and Candace Bowers , our president and librarian of the history room at the Mountain View Library , have been busy researching the house throughout the project .
Immigrant House undergoing restoration ( Courtesy Rey Rodriguez )
Heritage Park , which will be passive-use , is set to open in December and will feature the 1880s-era Immigrant House as its central focus , accompanied by community gardens , paths , a beehive area and an 80-year-old windmill . The park will stand as a tribute to Mountain View ’ s agricultural origins and provide a glimpse into daily life of the 19th century . Even further , it will reveal insights into immigrant involvement in the region ’ s agrarian past .
With the historical redwood building scheduled for demolition , the Friends of Immigrant House raised the funds for its salvation and restoration including a $ 50,000 contribution each from Google and Santa Clara County . With Heritage Park preparing to open and the renovation of Immigrant House well under way , these are exciting times for residents and descendants of immigrants who once lived in this house . One such local ( yours truly ) is Mary Kay “ Marina ” Marinovich , of Croatian heritage .
I think I can now tell my dad I helped move the little house . That the house may now thrive in an environment suited to its original purpose is a monumental blessing for immigrants and Mountain View locals of the past , present and future alike .
3