Threatened: Tankhouses, Windsor, CA.

Photos by Thomas Eddy

The sentries of Mendocino's skyline are the town's water towers, or tankhouses in preservation speak.  As if securing the town from an approaching fog bank, the redwood tankhouses also help us identify Mendocino as a one-of-a-kind place in coastal California.  They are a community's icons that have new found purposes; everything from wedding backdrops to hotel accommodations.

  

Tankhouses are indeed unique to the west coast, and in particular to California.  Our long, dry summers meant water needed to be stored for months until the winter rains replenished the soil.  Elevating the tanks helped to transport the water by gravity.  Noted geographer Leon Pitman has identified six different types of tankhouses with each style being unique to a particular region in California.  However, it is clear that Windsor farmers did not pay attention to this apparent "rule."

Slanted or straight walls, attached houses or windmills, all are visually top heavy due to the immensity of the redwood tanks. At least eight tankhouses can be found within and around Windsor.  Most exemplify others found throughout our state. New pumps, pressure tanks, and municipal water connections have made these tankhouses obsolete.  Today, many are turned into living spaces or storage barns, but too many others are either severely deteriorating or already lost. The skeletal remains of one is slated for demolition to make way for a modern hotel on Old Redwood Highway.  Another, with only one story remaining, is slated for a future parking lot near the new train depot.

As these iconic landmarks find their way onto wine labels and bookshelves, will others be embraced by the community as heritage resources spotted all over the vernacular landscape...or will they strictly become fodder for retail kitsch? We should be looking toward places like Mendocino to understand their value as repurposed and functional structures that can also define sense of place.

Threatened: Bell House, Windsor, CA.

Bell House, Windsor, CA.  Photo by Thomas Eddy

The Bell House is a locally significant landmark representing one of the oldest families in early Windsor, California.  The Bell family's influence was widespread within the community, where several streets were originally named after them.  Built in 1878, the home is currently for sale.  It has gone through some rough times; divided into upper and lower apartments and a failed nursery business that took over the parcel, the Bell House has thus far persevered.  Fortunately, the home is listed on the Town of Windsor's Historic Register, so anyone considering the purchase will benefit from meeting with town staff.  The home is also prominently represented both virtually and aesthetically: the Town of Windsor's website depicts a rendering of the home under the town's brief history page, and a similar etching can be seen at the Town Green's timeline walk.  No better way to support local identity and sense of place!

Update:  The Bell House is currently off the market for unknown reasons.

Supported & Saved: Hembree House Now Museum, Windsor, CA.

Hembree House photos by Rob Huebschmann

Dr. Atlas Hembree and his wife Clara (Cunningham) Hembree built this retirement home in 1931.  The Hembrees had just moved back from Southern California to the Cunningham Homestead to build their dream home, clearly influenced by Spanish Eclectic styles of the time.  Interior details are simple yet surprising, where doors, moldings and other miscellaneous woodwork were crafted from cypress wood on the property.  The Windsor Historical Society further discusses how ownership changed hands, including the site's significance as the founding place for Landmark Winery; a premier wine that was once enjoyed at the White House.

Today, the house is owned by the Town of Windsor, and the property is leased as a museum to the Windsor Historical Society.  The collections include early Windsor artifacts and highlights the region's productive agrarian landscape.  The museum sign, seen above, was made from a wine barrel stave by one of the museum's primary supporters, George Greeott.  The house is also listed on the Town's  historic register.

In Need: Cunningham Homestead, Windsor, California

Currently owned by the Town of Windsor, the Cunningham Homestead is the site of one of Windsor's earliest settlement buildings, circa 1855.  The Windsor Historical Society is managing its restoration and has been able to fund its new, temporary metal roof until a more authentic shake can be installed.  Foundation work is next, followed by returning the front porch to its presumed original location on the facade shown above.  A sketch of the original elevation appears in the Town of Windsor's history webpage.  Funding thus far will not allow for the reuse of this structure. The Cunningham Homestead is listed in the Town of Windsor's Historic Register.

Threatened: Mattie Washburn House, Windsor, CA.

This 1911 home was the resident of Windsor's first woman school superintendent, Mattie Washburn.  Her name is well respected within the community where one of its schools is named after her.  It's for sale!  The real estate listing identifies the parcel zoned as CR (Commercial Residential), which places this historic building at risk for redevelopment.  Seen in the photo is a rare example of one of our regional identifiers, a period tank house (a.k.a. water tower).  Some deferred maintenance has resulted in the use of a blue tarp over the tank house, however the home itself appears to be in great condition.  This home would be a great candidate for the state's or nation's historic registry.

Update:  The real estate listing has changed to describe the home as historic instead of its previous encouragement of redevelopment.  The price came down, too!

Update:  It appears that the Mattie Washburn home has been sold and will remain a private residence.  It fate is still unclear, and we can only hope that the new owners will be sensitive to its local significance.