Built 1874 Opened 1874 Added to NRHP 17 June 1982 | NRHP Reference # 82002220 Area 800 m² | |
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Location 10292 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, California Architectural styles Victorian architecture, American Queen Anne style Similar Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood, Castle Peak, Trout Creek, Guardians of the Galaxy | ||
The Kruger House (or C.B. White House) is a historic building located at 10292 Donner Pass Road, in Truckee, Nevada County, northern California.
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The mansion was built in 1873/1874 by W. H. Kruger, who was then a partner in the Truckee Lumber Company. It was originally designed as a single family residence, in the Queen Anne Eastlake Victorian style. It served as a hotel in the early 20th century.
The restored building currently houses a restaurant and specialty store, in the Brickelltown neighborhood west of downtown Truckee. In 1982 it was registered with the California Office of Historic Preservation, and added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Kruger family
The mansion was built by William Henry Kruger for his wife and eventual six children. It is reported that Mr. Kruger 'imported' fourteen Austrian craftsmen for the project. Henry Kruger was born in Germany April 9, 1830, and came to America in 1852. While engaged in mining, mercantile pursuits and the sawmill business, he lived in Grass Valley, Dutch Flat, and finally Truckee, where he became half-owner of the very large and successful Truckee Lumber Company with E. J. Brickell (the namesake of that part of town). His partnership with Mr. Brickell involved one of the most efficient and progressive mills in the area, in addition to a supply house offering the latest and best materials available for construction, decorating and furnishing for the most discriminating customers.
Henry Kruger died June 27, 1891, leaving his fortune, which by then had grown to an estimated million 1891 dollars, to his wife and children. Mary Adella Richardson Kruger lived until the age of 93, dying November 3, 1940. Nearly all of Kruger's surviving grand, great-grand and great-great-grandchildren are living in California today.
White family
Charles Bernard White, a Bank of America executive and prominent Truckee citizen, purchased the home in November 1904 for his wife Belle and infant son C. B. White, Junior. Belle White, in her youth, was a Sacramento Beauty Queen, and also a noted concert pianist, offering instruction in their home for many decades. The Truckee old-timers still speak of the massive piano and other exquisite furnishings that adorned the 'White House.' He was later deeply involved in the Lincoln Highway through Truckee Project. Barney White Jr. later attended the University of California, Berkeley, becoming a well-regarded Sacramento civil engineer, and was a long-time leader of the Sacramento Banjo-Players' Association.
It was during the early 1900s that the White family opened their home to help alleviate the local lodging shortage: from 1912 to the late twenties, the 'White House Hotel' catered to the first automobile traffic over Donner Pass Summit, which included many notable early Lake Tahoe residents and preservationists; for instance D. L. Bliss, his and numerous signatures of other wealthy and famous can be found in the original White House Hotel Register, beginning July 1912. After the late 1920s, the home returned to use as a single family residence. It eventually suffered a period of vacancy and deterioration through the mid 20th century.
Krakowsky Restoration
Under the direction of Zena Krakowsky, a long-time Truckee resident and progressive businessperson, the mansion underwent an extensive and painstakingly precise seven-year rehabilitation, with attention being paid to every detail, including closely matching the Axminster carpet, wallpaper to reflect the originals, and custom-mixed paints to tie the interior architecture together. All parts were refurbished, including molding, fretwork and stained-glass windows.
During the project, the building was transparently upgraded to commercial code in preparation for Ms. Krakowsky's opening the building to the public in 1980 as an antique shop and fine-dining establishment. In 1982, based on the quality of rehabilitation and preservation, the Kruger-White House received the honor of being the first property in the area to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On 17 June 1982, it was registered with the California Office of Historic Preservation, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#82002220). She operated businesses in the Kruger-White House from 1973 to 1995.
After the home was rehabilitated, the original 'White House Hotel Sign,' the hotel register (July 1912—forward), and other historic items discovered in the basement during rehabilitation were donated to the Truckee-Donner Historical Society.