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Hayes Mansion
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| Location: | San Jose, California |
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| Built: | 1905 |
| Architect: | George Page |
| Architectural style: | Mediterranean Revival |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 75000481 [1] in |
| Added to NRHP: | August 1, 1975 |
The Hayes Mansion is a hotel resort in San Jose, California, United States. It was constructed originally as a mansion and has been referred to as one of the best examples of late 19th-century Mediterranean Revival architecture in the Santa Clara Valley.[2] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Originally the residence of the sprawling estate of the Hayes family, the mansion replaced the family’s wooden English Baroque style house that burned to the ground in 1899. In 1903, architect George Page was commissioned to build, if not a fireproof structure, then one featuring the latest fire safety features of the day.
After the patriarch of the Hayes family, Anson Hayes, died, the family relocated from Wisconsin to California. Anson's widow, Mary, eventually remarried a San Jose attorney named Thomas Chynoweth. The new mansion was intended to provide a triple residence for Mary Chynoweth and the growing families of her two sons (Everis A. Hayes and Jay Orly Hayes), although Mary died in July 1903 before the house was completed in November of the same year.
The 41,000-square-foot (3,800 m2) Mediterranean villa expresses the extravagance of an era during which the rich and prominent lived and entertained in a grand style. Exotic woods, imported marble and ornate stained glass windows decorate the rooms of a building designed in the shape of a Maltese Cross. A long center section containing an 18-foot (5.45 m) wide solarium connects the south wing with the north wing. A loggia connects the east wing with the west wing. Although it is not evident, the walls are double brick with stucco coating. As a result of the fire that destroyed the earlier home, the design of the Hayes Mansion included many fire-safety features. Throughout the house there are fire hose cabinets that connect to water tanks on the third floor. The kitchen was located in a separate building and connected to the mansion with a glass and marble plant conservatory.
Early in its history, the property operated in a completely self-sufficient manner, with its own power plant located on the grounds, as well as a post office, railroad station, carriage stop, lodgings for 40 ranch hands and even a chapel. The family also grew their own fruits and vegetables and raised their own livestock. In this idyllic setting, the Hayes brothers, Everis and Jay, raised their families, became prominent politicians, helped develop the Santa Clara Valley fruit industry and became the publishers of the newspaper San Jose Mercury. As evidence of their political influence, three U.S. Presidents have visited the mansion.
After the Hayes family sold the property during the 1950s, the building remained vacant for some time and then became dilapidated. Purchased by the City of San Jose during the 1990s, the property was renovated and expanded to its present state. The building now contains 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) of meeting space and 214 guest rooms and is surrounded by a 20-acre (8.1 ha) park.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.
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