The Sonoma Valley Historical Society has shared the history of one of Sonoma’s most historic homes.
Another little known National Register Property in the city of Sonoma is Orange Lawn, its building style Late Victorian Italianate. The significance is for a representative example of Italianate architecture, displaying the distinctive characteristics of that style and possessing high artistic value. The building also represents the work of an unknown master craftsman whose sawn ornament achieves significance as sculptural folk art. The 1872 mansion was constructed on a concrete foundation with cellar, and the formal grounds include concrete walkways, flower urns and entry steps. The early use of concrete in the construction of the residence and landscape design is extraordinary for the country at this time, but consistent with concrete construction that occurred in Sonoma during the 1860s – 1870s.
Native and exotic trees dating from the 19th century grace the grounds of Orange Lawn and include olive, black walnut, cedar, magnolia, catalpa, Monterey pine and redwood species. A locust tree, pictured in an 1883 photograph of Maria Young, still stands in the west garden. Interconnecting walkways made of concrete wind through two acres of manicured lawn and are original to the construction of the house. The name may refer to several attributes associated with the landscape design of the estate, namely the color of summer lawns surrounding the mansion and the Youngs interest in citrus cultivation. Daniel experimented with orange and lemon trees and exhibited samples at the State Fair in 1873. Many in Sonoma hoped oranges would become an important industry including General Vallejo who shipped some, grown from his garden, to the Alta Newspaper in 1872. Fie hoped to gain notoriety for his successful “culture of semi-tropical fruit.” Pioneer resident, Caleb.C. Carringer, began planting orange and lemon trees as early as 1863 and by 1873 his orchard included 100 specimens…