New Addition
A typical tour of the Bidwell Mansion includes views of all three floors. That is, until Saturday, when tour guides are able to add half a floor—the servants’ quarters (shown here)—which reside above the kitchen and laundry room at the rear of the building. Amber Drake, who has worked at Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park for nine years, explained the painstaking work it took to refurbish the two rooms, one with a single bed, the other with two. Both rooms come equipped with a sink (inset) and large closet. The only section not yet finished, Drake said, was the maids’ bathroom—complete with flushing toilet. The restoration took years of research, acquiring time-appropriate pieces and perfecting the rooms. And it all comes at a strange time for the state park, which would be closed under the governor’s proposed budget. “How awful to do all this restoration and then close the park,” Drake said. “Then it sits here unseen.” She said the home would remain temperature-controlled to preserve the artifacts inside, and the lawn would be mowed. The extra half-floor will be revealed to the public Saturday (July 11), with regular guided tours on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meet in the park’s Visitor’s Center next door to the mansion, which is at 525 Esplanade. Tours cost $4 for adults and $2 for children ages 5 to 17.
Photos By meredith j. cooper
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