OROVILLE — While their walls can’t talk, the owners of the two privately-owned homes honored with the first Oroville Historic Preservation Award can and will be during free public tours of both the houses Saturday.
“These buildings tell the unique story of the founding of Oroville, and we are in a fight to keep these structures standing physically and, most importantly, to keep the incredible stories of the people who built them alive,” said Natalie Sheard, vice chair of the Oroville Historic Advisory Committee. “This award gives us the opportunity to honor the residents of the past and the residents of today who are working hard to preserve and improve this historic gold rush town.”
Starting at 3 p.m., the Swayne Home, owned by Gerald and Desiree Vance, at 1135 Montgomery Street, will be open for tours. At 5 p.m., Scott and Julie Miller, owners of the Hecker Home at 1620 Bird St., will open their home for tours. Both homes have been designated as award winners with commemorative plaques.
The Georgian Revival Swayne Home sits on Montgomery Street on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Oroville, California. It is one of two homes honored with the 2024 Oroville Historic Preservation Award that will be open for free public tours on Oct. 5. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)
“Attendees will have an opportunity to tour these beautiful homes and hear from the current owners to learn about the history of the site and view the unique architecture details of the
buildings,” said Sheard.
The Swayne Home was built in 1918 by Warren and Willow Swayne who owned and operated the Swayne Lumber Mill in Berry Creek. This Georgian Revival home has a two-car garage and servants’ quarters and the original brick. The yard still retains much of the original trees and roses.
“We feel we’re the custodians of this home. Our job is to preserve it for everyone and share it,” said Desiree Vance. “There are still several pieces of the original home intact, including light fixtures. We also have the original construction contract and blueprints people can see.”
The Hecker Home was built in 1885 by French immigrant Fred Hecker for his bride, Catherine Hecker. This Italianate home on Bird Street is just a few blocks from where the couple’s business, Pioneer Show Store, was located on the corner of Montgomery and Huntoon streets. The home retains many of its original features including gasolier light fixtures, wrought iron fencing and original wallpaper in the drawing room and dining room.
The Italianate Hecker Home on Bird Street is seen Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Oroville, California. It is one of two homes honored with the 2024 Oroville Historic Preservation Award that will be open for free public tours on Oct. 5. (Kyra Gottesman/Mercury-Register)
“We’re the fifth owners of the home. The Hecker’s daughter, Alice, lived in the home until the 1970s,” said Julie Miller. “We bought it in 2019 after it had been vacant for about 10 years. We’ve done a lot of work and even though we’re not completely finished yet, we have a lot of fun showing it to people.
The Swayne and Hecker homes were among several homes nominated for the 2024 award. They were selected as the winners by the History Advisory Committee, part of the Oroville Planning Commission, based on several criteria including outstanding period appropriate architectural and landscape restoration or preservation; evidence of an understanding of and dedication to the history of the structure or site within the context of Oroville’s history; a commitment to excellence in ongoing stewardship of the property; and importance within the context of Oroville’s history.
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“These tours are an incredible opportunity because the owners, who have preserved these historic treasures, will be showing visitors around and talking about the work they’ve done to preserve the homes as well as the history of the homes and the people who built them,” said Sheard. “We’re super excited and hope as more homes are honored with the Historic Preservation Award every year that the tour will grow and keep Oroville’s amazing history alive.”
The creation of the award was the result of a collaboration among the History Advisory Committee, Oroville historian Danny Ballard, city staff and members of the downtown business association. The Planning Commission passed a resolution for the award on Oct. 6, 2023. That resolution was then approved unanimously by the Oroville City Council on Nov. 2, 2023 slating the award to be implemented in 2024 and to be an annual award thereafter.
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