"Bring blankets to spread out in the back garden; we will have tasty picnic-fare items for purchase," says museum director David Nicolai, who plans to spend the day strolling the grounds as "Dr. George Pardee."

Others in his party that day will be his "wife" Helen, and their four daughters -- along with their beloved governess - "Aunt Etta" ( Helen's spinster sister who lived in the house with the family and looked after the children -- and their lively menagerie of pets, including a dog, a cat, a pony, a cow and a goat say library history room files).

"We are looking forward to showing off our newly painted house exterior," says Nicolai, "and the newly completed phase-two portion of our gardens restoration."

The event received a donation from Signature Properties of Walnut Creek, developers of Landmark Place, a 99-unit townhome complex next door to the Pardee museum.

"We used the funds to initiate a complete weatherization and repainting of the house, starting with bringing in a paint consultant to advise us on a new paint color scheme," says Nicolai.

"We asked Blair Prentice, who had previously created a paint palette for the houses in nearby Preservation Park, as well as the colors for Landmark Place. We asked him to come up with hues befitting a 'stately and dignified' Italianate villa.

"Our board of trustees decided to go with colors appropriate for the era (the house was built in 1868, making it one of the oldest structures still standing in the East Bay), as opposed to a strictly historically accurate treatment that would have been based on scientific analysis.

"We received approvals from the city's Landmarks Board to go forward with a four color plan focusing on a creamy yellow for the body of the house, and gray, tan, and cranberry as trim colors.

"The large-scale project took over 4 months to complete. The scaffolding came down shortly after New Year's this year.

"We were very pleased with the painstaking work of our contractor Gustavo Caldarelli, of Victorian Restorations, in San Rafael, who specializes in painting the sizable Victorian houses of Alameda and the City and so had the experience to take on our project.

For our gardens restoration, we are working with PGA, Inc., landscape architects, and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, to establish a period garden with state of the art irrigation. We approached EBMUD to help us because George Pardee served for many years as President of the Board (following his term as California governor from 1903 to 1907).

Later next year, when we have completed phase 3, we plan to work with EBMUD to promote the Pardee garden as a demonstration garden, so visitors can learn appropriate methods to install irrigation when renovating their property.

The Pardee's informative Web site, www.pardeehome.org, recounts the history of the landmark, built by George's father Enoch, a Gold Rush participant who opened a medical practice in San Francisco as an eye doctor. After establishing his gracious home in the East Bay suburb of Oakland -- with its balmy climate and newly laid out streets and boulevards -- Enoch served terms as mayor of Oakland, state assemblyman and state senator, during the 1870s and 1880s.

Enoch's only son George followed in his father's footsteps, also becoming an eye doctor, and serving as mayor of Oakland, before moving up to the governorship in 1903.

George is often referred to as the earthquake governor,' for his leadership abilities following the 1906 earthquake and fire.

He was also a co-founder in the launching of the Progressive Party in California; our records show he considered Theodore Roosevelt a close political ally, and he was an avid conservationist, says Nicolai. On Sunday we are selling replicas of campaign buttons that say Californians for Roosevelt in 04, to commemorate the presidential race of that summer, one hundred years ago.

According to the Web site, George's wife Helen was a most prodigious collector for her day. She accumulated many thousands of objects from all corners of the word, from scrimshaw from Alaska, to tobacco pipes from the Philippines, and altarpieces from China.... Mrs. Pardee was a renowned hostess who loved to give formal house tours.... with an emphasis on her prized collections, a tradition which lives on.

As we continue the task of accessioning and cataloging the fascinating contents of this house, we recently verified a rare oil portrait of General Winfield Scott, who figured prominently during the Mexican American War of 1848, and served at the Presidio in San Francisco. It will soon be going out on long-term loan for display at the Officer's Headquarters over there, said Trustee Chairman Stan Stiddam (whose family members were close friends of the Pardee family).

There will be informal tours of the house during the afternoon, and live music, with an appropriate patriotic theme, promises Nicolai.

The hours for the picnic with live music are from noon to 4 p.m. and a donation of $5 All proceeds will go towards the ongoing restoration of this Bay Area and California landmark.

The Pardee Home Museum is featured on Oakland Tours Program summer walking tours. See www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours for a complete listing of the free tours, or call the tours hotline, 238-3234.

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
(510) 208-6477 Fax
lmclaughlin@angnewspapers.com Email