For months, we have watched from our office windows as construction workers, craftsmen, artists and historians labor to restore the historic Leland Stanford mansion next door. Today, we were invited to an open house to see the place before it is unveiled to the public.  

I arrived late, but my reward was a near-empty house and docents who were more than happy to show me how the home has been brought back to its original splendor. Although built in middle of the 19th century as a modest-sized home, later additions to the home by Governor Leland Stanford brought its size to 19,000 square feet. The Stanfords eventually donated the house to the Catholic diocese and for the next 78 years, it was run by charitable organizations and used as a home for 'friendless" children. One of the docents who showed me around spent her teenage years living in the house.  

Now, wiill be used as California’s diplomatic and business reception center and a museum. Each room is a virtual replica of the home in which Governor Stanford and his family lived. In some of the pictures below, you can get a glimpse of the detail -- the ornate facade, the artwork, the crest on the cornice in the parlor (complete with the LS monogram) the detailed molding on the ceiling (and some of the 17 different colors of paint used in that room) the furniture, the window coverings and the beautiful carpets that closely match the original pieces.