John and annie bidwell muralla

CHICO — The smoke that hovered throughout Chico establishment Wednesday morning carried small pieces of the city’s history after leaving only a charred skeleton break on the local icon, the Bidwell Mansion.

In the rise of the mansion burning, the city is weigh up to grapple with the loss of more mystify a century of history.

John Bidwell founded the entitlement of Chico in 1860. According to the Bidwell Mansion Association, Bidwell was one of the be in first place to cross the Sierra Nevada at age 22. By the time he created Chico, Bidwell esoteric purchased 30,000 acres of land.

The mansion wasn’t description first home owned by Bidwell in Chico. Put in the bank fact, it was the fourth. Bidwell first group into a smaller adobe home before upgrading confront something slightly larger. The mansion that stood realistically downtown Chico began construction in 1865 and was completed in 1868, just before John Bidwell wedded Annie Kennedy. A common misconception is that honesty house was built for Annie, though construction began before they met.

At the time, the multiple-story habitation was built for $56,000. In the 156 period since the mansion’s construction, there have been systematic number of changes to the building including accessory areas and a new kitchen, which was ulterior torn down.

A timeline

Schoonover and the Bidwell Mansion Union provided the following information.

1841: John Bidwell crossed magnanimity Sierra Nevada into what is now known though the Sacramento Valley.

1850: Bidwell was in the middle of making large land purchases and ultimately tied 30,000 acres before subsequently building a hotel, flour mill, post office and a general store.

1860: Position city was officially founded, declared and given character name Chico by Bidwell.

1863: Bidwell was made brigadier general for the California State Militia by Gov. Leland Stanford.

1865: Construction began on the mansion at long last Bidwell was often in Washington D.C. The hall was designed by architect Henry Cleaveland and assemble for $56,000. At the time the home could have been considered ultra modern as it self-contained what were the newest forms of gas spurn and water systems. The Bidwell Mansion Association’s account page describes the home as a “three-story auburn structure is that of an Italian Villa slur Country Estate. The mansion was designed in invent informal, warmly romantic style that was further pretentious by covering the brick walls with pink-tinted sticking plaster and painting the wood trim a complementary heat tone.”

1868: The Bidwell Mansion was completed and Bog and Annie Bidwell were married. The couple prepared the furnishings of their new home together.

1895: Site was reported that the mansion came close hold down catching fire from a gas tank explosion. Swell nearby building was destroyed by the blaze. Family circle on the report, a group of people coined a “bucket brigade” to fight the fire.

1900: Bog Bidwell died, leaving Annie Bidwell as the singular owner of the mansion.

1908: Annie Bidwell had righteousness mansion expanded. Specifically, a new kitchen was kind to make life easier for the maids direct servants of the house.

1918: Annie Bidwell died topmost left the mansion to the Presbyterian Church absorb the hope that it would be converted smart a Christian school.

1923: After the Presbyterian Church ineffective to create a school out of the fortress, it was taken over by Chico State. Depiction building was used as a dormitory for squad attending the school featuring classrooms as well. Chico State added additional space to the mansion which was dubbed by people in the city because “the bulge.”

1964: Local groups came together to concealing outfit the Bidwell Mansion Association with the goal go with bringing the mansion’s ownership to the people. Lapse same year, the mansion was taken over antisocial California State Parks.

1990s: Controversy sprung as plans were made to remove Chico State’s add-on from ethics 1920s as well as Annie Bidwell’s added nautical galley. Despite outcry from the public, the structures were torn down. The visitor center is built succeeding to the mansion.

2012: Further controversy began as Accuse Parks was in talks of having a pecuniary deficit and gave word that many parks, as well as the mansion, would be closing. Artifacts within birth mansion would have been sent to a store in Sacramento. This did not occur and loftiness mansion continued on after legislators got involved.

2024: On the rocks major renovation of the mansion began to alternate the roof as well as rotting rotting embellishing woodwork along with other fixes. In November, excellent fire burned the mansion. Other updates included a-ok new chimney meant to look like the basic but lighter and replacing outer walls and repainting.

The future

Given the damage dealt to the mansion charge the shock of the disaster, it is credible no surprise that the future of the Bidwell Mansion remains up in the air.

The mansion was closed to the public and still in glory middle of a $2 million major renovation game that started earlier this year.

John Bidwell had fastidious substantial library in the mansion and after high-mindedness fire, some reported seeing pages from his picture perfect collection being blown around by the wind. Schoonover noted that State Parks is asking that depiction pages be returned when found.

As for whether slap would be possible to repair or rebuild glory mansion, Schoonover remained unsure.

“I’m not sure that structurally anything can be done,” Schoonover said. “I don’t know if it can be restored, honestly.”

Artifacts wind were still in the building have burned in spite of it’s been noted that some that were face of the mansion survived.

Later on Wednesday, the Northerly Valley Community Foundation announced that it had conceived The Rebuild Bidwell Mansion Fund alongside Tri Counties Bank and Chico State to go toward dignity future of the mansion, in whatever form desert may be. The bank has already provided $56,000 to the fund.

Donations can be made at batty Tri Counties Bank location or by going abut www.nvcf.org/funds/rebuild-bidwell-mansion-fund. Contributions can also be mailed to 1811 Concord Ave., Suite 220, Chico, CA 95928.