It's a house with an impressive history: home to two California governors, birthplace of Leland Stanford Jr. and site of Sacramento's most lavish social gatherings and successful political dealmaking of the post-Civil War era. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, the Leland Stanford Mansion now is being restored and is set to reopen in 2000 as a stately meeting place for politicians, business leaders and foreign dignitaries.
Gov. Stanford purchased the building in 1861 for $8,000. He had it "enlarged" from 2,000 to 19,000 square feet and, with his wife, Jane, turned it into what The California Farmer in 1862 called "the most perfect specimen of a residence in the state." After her husband's death, Mrs. Stanford donated the mansion to the Roman Catholic Diocese, which for 90 years used it as an orphanage for "friendless children."
In 1978, the state paid $2 million for the mansion, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Officials envision a gracious reception center to help lure new business to the state. (Among the 10 largest states, California is the only one that has no such site; Gov. George Deukmejian once had to host a German official at the Nut Tree, a coffee shop.) Now a private foundation, whose board members include former governors and prominent Stanford alumni, is seeking to raise $10 million to restore the four-story, 44-room home. Two-thirds of the funds already are in hand; the rest is needed to refurbish the third floor and fix the exterior. When the work is done, the mansion will house a research library and be open for public tours.
