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.