I was an active 4-H member of the Hopland 4-H Club in the 1950s. One of the activities I remember well is that the Mendocino Spartan 4-H Club put on a fair right in the town of Mendocino. As I remember, it was held in the summer of 1953. There was a vacant lot on a corner across from the Preston Mansion. I noticed the mansion because two members of the Mendocino 4-H Club, Carol Ann and Bonnie, lived in the upper story of the three-story Preston mansion. I remember them telling me that their parents did some work for Doctor Preston in exchange for rent on the rooms.
I also learned that a movie was made in the mansion. In 1954 the mansion was used for the filming of East of Eden. The movie was released in 1955. Doctor Preston died in the middle of filming the movie. One of his last wishes in life was that the movie should continue to be filmed in the mansion.
Doctor Preston made two gifts in his will that benefited the town people of Mendocino. First, he bequeathed the mansion to the Mendocino Presbyterian Church. The understanding was that the church would sell the mansion and use the money for improvements to the church. The other was the gift of a lodge building across the street from the mansion to the Mendocino Spartan 4-H Club. Rumor has it that the reason he gave it to the 4-H was that Carol Ann and Bonnie were 4-H members, and he was impressed with the 4-H club principles. History tells me that several lodges met in the two-story building over the decades before Doctor Preston owned it. I have written several articles concerning the history and ownership of the lodge building to the present ownership, as I know it.
In 1955 the Mendocino Presbyterian church did sell the mansion to Pete Paoli who owned the Highway Market south of Fort Bragg. The church originally wanted $15,000 but settled with Paoli for $12,000.
In 1956 a fire destroyed the Preston mansion. Paoli reported that he just barely escaped the fire with his family. The fire reportedly started in one of the several chimneys in the mansion. The fire department had been called in early afternoon and the fire was thought to have been put out. But at 1:30 in the morning the fire reignited, woke Paoli up and the mansion was beyond extinguishing.Bill Zacha was well known in Mendocino. He taught Art at Mendocino High School. He always envisioned an art school in Mendocino. His chance came one Saturday night while he was playing bingo. He heard two men talking about buying the burned-out Preston Mansion for a trailer park. On Sunday morning, February 22, 1959, Zacha, and his wife drove toward Fort Bragg to see the mansion’s owner, Bill Paoli. Zacha walked into the Highway Market that Paoli owned and stated that he was there to buy the Preston property. Paoli said, “Good. The price is $5500.” Zacha asked how much did he need to put down. Paoli said $50.00 would seal the deal. Paoli wrote up a sales slip from the market and both men signed it.
By Sept. 6, 1959, the Mendocino Art Center had a grand opening. This was due to Bill Zacha, many friends, a lot of hard work, and many donations. Reportedly 1,000 people attended the grand opening. The Art Center recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary. I want to thank Katy M. Tahja and Karen Holmes for helping me put this article together, as well as a Mendocino old-timer who wants no attribution to her name.
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