O’Briens breathe new life
into old Victorian
New-to-town
couple opens wedding, event site in
By
Gloria Young, Journal staff writer
|
A historical Auburn home
overlooking
Residents Mike and Patricia
O’Brien, who recently moved to the foothills from
The O’Briens moved to
“I’m from a real small town
in
So she got her husband,
Mike O’Brien, to agree that if they could find the right small town, he’d
consider moving his Internet-based business.
They looked at a number of
small towns in the area including Loomis and
“We came and talked to a
bunch of Auburn businesses and everyone was so friendly and helpful — and
They decided that the
house, which was built in 1874, would be ideal.
According to the Victorian
Hill Gardens Web site, the original owner, Edmund Christopher Snowden, was the
town pharmacist and owned a number of properties in town, including the
building that now houses Bootleggers Old Town Tavern & Grill.
It has since gone through
numerous hands and was unoccupied for a period. Residents Sue and Norman Hill
bought the place in 1988.
The Hills fell in love with
the property as soon as they saw it.
“We drove up the driveway
with the pines and oak trees. It looked like it was in the woods even though it
was in town,” Sue Hill said. “We made an offer without seeing the inside of the
house.”
The Hills ran it as
Victorian Hill Bed and Breakfast until 1992 and remained there after that. They
added a pond, family room and a big concrete deck. And there was ample space
for gardening.
“Everything that is planted
in the yard, I had to take a pick and shovel to all the rock before I could
plant anything," Sue Hill said. "I’m so glad someone is going to use
the garden and others will enjoy it, too.”
That flowerscape just makes
it that much more special for the O’Briens.
“We wanted to do something
where people were happy,” Patricia O’Brien said. “It is quaint, peaceful and
beautiful. Sue Hill planted thousands of bulbs and plants and flowers and trees
that bloom. There’s magnolia and wisteria. It’s just exquisite when it is all
in bloom, which it is starting to do now.”
She’s also impressed with
how the history of the home has been preserved.
“(Past owners have) kept
the historical flair,” she said. “In pictures from around the turn of the
century, you can tell that wallpaper is the same. They’ve had to replace
different things, but kept it looking just the same.”
The six-acre property
includes a couple of garden areas, a pond and a large deck, much of it with a
panoramic view.
Besides weddings, the site
can be booked for a variety of outdoor meetings and celebrations, including
catered lunches, dinners and teas.
The O’Briens are booking
the first events for early spring. They’ve attended the
Their focus is on events
with 75 or fewer participants, and may eventually expand the parking area to
accommodate larger crowds.
Cost for a basic wedding
package is $1,500 or reception only for $1,200. The O’Briens have an in-house
wedding coordinator available for consultation, and they can arrange for
catering through Awesome Hospitality, Inc.
The Journal’s Gloria Young
can be reached at
_________
Where:
Call: (530) 885-6518
On the Web:
victorianhillgardens.com
Keywords
Victorian
Hill Gardens,
Mike
O'Brien, Patricia
O’Brien, Edmund
Christopher Snowden, Sue
Hill, Norman
Hill, Auburn