National Register of Historic Places

McDonald Mansion

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
Listed
March 1, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000560

About this property

The McDonald Mansion, also known as Mableton, is an historic residence in Santa Rosa, California. It was built in 1876 in the Victorian Stick/Eastlake style as a summer home for the McDonald family, whose primary residence was in San Francisco. After the death of the senior McDonalds, the eldest son Mark Jr. and his wife Isabelle eventually became sole owners of Mableton, and made it their primary residence. By the early 1920s, the two began to extensively remodel Mableton to suit their own tastes. In 1959, Mabelton's exterior was used in the filming of Walt Disney's Pollyanna. However, film editors altered the look of the McDonald house by using matte painting to add several stories to make the building taller, as well as architectural features. In 1977, during a restoration process, a fire destroyed a large part of the house. The owner, Dr. Jack Leissring, rebuilt the house. He sold it in 2005 to technology entrepreneur John Webley and his wife Jennifer. As of 2018, they remain the owners of the house. In 2006, the Rynerson O'Brien Architecture firm began a five-year renovation of the home. The overhaul included restoring the exterior, recreating Victorian theme rooms throughout the home, and adding new features to the backyard.

Location

1015 McDonald Ave.
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
38.45027, -122.70520

Categories

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Cnopius House
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0.6 mi
Wasserman House
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0.7 mi
Comstock House
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0.7 mi
Sweet House
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0.7 mi
Rosenburg's Department Store
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0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was McDonald Mansion listed on the National Register?

McDonald Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 1, 1974.

What type of historic resource is McDonald Mansion?

McDonald Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for McDonald Mansion?

The period of significance for McDonald Mansion is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near McDonald Mansion?

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