CHICO — The Bidwell Mansion is set to undergo a $2 million restoration project this spring, said Terri Lopez, Northern Buttes District program manager for interpretation and education at California State Parks.
During construction, the mansion will be closed to the public, and the property, including portions of the landscape, will be fenced off.
“It’s not what we normally think of when you know, somebody’s coming in to remodel or to do a construction project,” Lopez said.
The project requires close collaboration with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the Office of Historic Preservation. There will be extensive documentation and care aimed at preserving the original materials of the building.
The restoration project has been in the works for years. Contractors interested in the project participated in walkthroughs, submitted proposals and underwent a scoring process.
State Parks is in the final review stage of awarding the construction contract to the selected contractor.
The restoration will include replacing the roof, plasterwork and repainting the mansion.
Much of the needed construction comes from general wear and tear on the over 150-year-old building. However, some damage is the result of vandalism.
Two windows on the bottom of the mansion that shed light into the basement were “kicked in,” Sondra Murphy, tour guide at the Bidwell Mansion said.
A vandalized window boarded up at the Bidwell Mansion is seen Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 in Chico, California. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record)
After the windows were replaced, they were smashed again, Murphy said. The windows are currently boarded up.
The mansion is sometimes vandalized with graffiti, said State Parks aide Quinn Neves.
Graffiti often increases around the start of each high school semester, Neves said, and that it has been around six months since the mansion was last tagged.
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Fremont resident Jim Coker visited Chico and the Bidwell Mansion for the first time Sunday with his family. Coker said historical buildings like this are important for displaying how society has evolved.
Construction on the mansion is “probably necessary … in order to keep it for future generations,” Coker said.
The construction timeline is not yet finalized. Lopez recommends those who would like to tour Bidwell Mansion visit now, and said it will likely be closed sometime in March.
Bidwell Mansion is open for tours Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 .p.m. The visitor center and gift shop is open on the same days from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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