CHICO — Bidwell Mansion, which stood as the iconic symbol of Chico for nearly 160 years, was destroyed by fire this week.
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Smoke and flames were spotted coming from the mansion around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11. An hour later, the top story collapsed.
The adjacent carriage house, gazebo and visitors’ center went unharmed.
The cause is under investigation. Arson has not been ruled out, but both Chico Assistant Fire Chief Chris Zinko and City Manager Mark Sorensen said that what has been learned so far does not support an initial report that someone set a warming fire on the mansion grounds.
“Last night’s fire at the Bidwell Mansion is a devastating loss for Chico,” Mayor Kasey Reynolds said. “Our firefighters, whether on duty or off, gave their all in the face of this fire. As we recover from the loss of our iconic Bidwell Mansion, we’ll continue to rely on the strength of our community to move forward.”
The full scope of the loss remains unclear. Because the mansion was undergoing exterior renovations as part of a yearlong project, some of the interior items had been removed by the staff of Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park.
Matt Teague, district supervisor for California State Parks, called the damage “extensive” and said the fire “severely damaged that main structure.” His office will need to conduct assessments to see whether the building can be saved. He had no timetable or cost estimate.
“A fire of this size and magnitude raises a huge concern for the overall structural integrity and ability to save it,” Teague said on scene. “It’s uncertain whether we can save any of the building and rebuild at this point.”
Zinko said firefighters stopped the spread of the fire by 6:30 a.m. A lot of the floors in the mansion burned through, he said, and the floors act as supporting structures for the walls.
He added the mansion is unstable, and the area will be fenced off. The site abuts California State University’s Chico campus and is near the Chico Junior High and Chico High campuses.
The mansion, on Big Chico Creek, is 5 miles downstream from the site where a burning car started the Park Fire in July. It went on to become the fourth largest wildfire in California history, burning more than 429,000 acres.
Bidwell Mansion dates to 1865, when construction began on the 26-room Victorian home of John and Annie Bidwell. Per California State Parks, the brick and plaster-finished building “featured the most modern plumbing, gas lighting and water systems” at the time of its construction. It cost $56,000 to build.
John Bidwell founded the city of Chico in 1860. According to the Bidwell Mansion Association, Bidwell was one of the first to cross the Sierra Nevada, at age 22. By the time he created Chico, Bidwell had purchased 30,000 acres of land.
A common misconception is that he built the house for Annie Kennedy, whom he married in 1868; construction began before they met.
A timeline
The Bidwell Mansion Association provided the following information.
1841: John Bidwell crossed the Sierra Nevada into what is now known as the Sacramento Valley.
1850: Bidwell was in the midst of making large land purchases and ultimately secured 30,000 acres before subsequently building a hotel, flour mill, post office and a general store.
1860: The city was officially founded, declared and given the name Chico by Bidwell.
1863: Bidwell was made brigadier general for the California State Militia by Gov. Leland Stanford.
1865: Construction began on the mansion while Bidwell was often in Washington D.C. The mansion was designed by architect Henry Cleaveland and built for $56,000. At the time the home could have been considered ultra modern as it contained what were the newest forms of gas lighting and water systems. The Bidwell Mansion Association’s history page describes the home as a “three-story brick structure is that of an Italian Villa or Country Estate. The mansion was designed in an informal, warmly romantic style that was further heightened by covering the brick walls with pink-tinted plaster and painting the wood trim a complementary brown tone.”
1868: The Bidwell Mansion was completed and John and Annie Bidwell were married. The couple planned the furnishings of their new home together.
1895: It was reported that the mansion came close to catching fire from a gas tank explosion. A nearby building was destroyed by the blaze. Based on the report, a group of people created a “bucket brigade” to fight the fire.
1900: John Bidwell died, leaving Annie Bidwell as the sole owner of the mansion.
1908: Annie Bidwell had the mansion expanded. Specifically, a new kitchen was built to make life easier for the maids and servants of the house.
1918: Annie Bidwell died and left the mansion to the Presbyterian Church with the hope that it would be converted into a Christian school.
1923: After the Presbyterian Church failed to create a school out of the mansion, it was taken over by Chico State. The building was used as a dormitory for women attending the school featuring classrooms as well. Chico State added additional space to the mansion which was dubbed by people in the city as “the bulge.”
1964: Local groups came together to form the Bidwell Mansion Association with the goal of bringing the mansion’s ownership to the people. That same year, the mansion was taken over by California State Parks.
1990s: Controversy sprung as plans were made to remove Chico State’s add-on from the 1920s as well as Annie Bidwell’s added kitchen. Despite outcry from the public, the structures were torn down. The visitor center is built adjacent to the mansion.
2012: Further controversy began as State Parks was in talks of having a financial deficit and gave word that many parks, including the mansion, would be closing. Artifacts within the mansion would have been sent to a warehouse in Sacramento. This did not occur and the mansion continued on after legislators got involved.
2024: A major renovation of the mansion began to replace the roof as well as rotting rotting ornamental woodwork along with other fixes. In December, a fire burned the mansion. Other updates included a new chimney meant to look like the original but lighter and replacing outer walls and repainting.
E-R reporter Michael Weber and editor Mike Wolcott contributed to this report.
