Looking for something unique to do in Santa Rosa, we headed downtown to visit the Old Post Office (AKA US Government Post Office and Federal Building).

Built 1910, this Roman Renaissance Revival building was designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect for the Treasury Department. It was considered one of the finest buildings north of San Francisco.
Following the devastating 1906 earthquake that hit Santa Rosa, the post office became part of the town's rebuilding effort and was the city's first federal building.

Steve is standing before the Internal Revenue Service's vault.
This 'door to nowhere' intrigued. This lead to the boardwalk and secret viewing corridors in the attic. A series of shafts and ladders allowed the Postmaster or Postal Inspector to perform routine inspections without being seen. Interesting. I love post offices of all ages.
But this noble building's story almost ended. In 1969, it survived a powerful earthquake, only to be slated for demolition to make way for the mall. In 1979, a team took on the impossible task of rolling the 1,700-ton building two blocks, from Fifth to Seventh Street, successfully completing the project in 75 days. The team adopted the slogan, “They said it couldn’t be done!” and after a remodel and expansion, the Sonoma County Museum officially opened its doors on January 12, 1985. And that is why we came today, to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of this unique place in Santa Rosa's history.
After learning the history of the building, we headed up to the mezzanine, which tells stories of Santa Rosa's rich history through objects from the permanent collection. Exhibits included objects from Fountaingrove, Santa Rosa's Chinatown, images following the 1906 earthquake, and more.
A part of the Chinatown exhibit revolves around one remarkable woman, Song Wong Bourbeau. Song, born here in 1909, was the last resident of Chinatown. Her decision, in the 1990s, near the end of her life, to give the museum the surviving artifacts of her early home has provided a clear look back at a time and place that can seem too remote to understand.
Interesting history was discovered at the exhibit about Fountaingrove. This area of town was settled in the 1800s by Thomas Lake Harris, the first of a wave of Utopians to come to Sonoma County. Harris established a commune on the site in 1875 called New Eden of the West, part of his Brotherhood of New Life project. The colony included 1,400 acres of land, upon which he constructed a number of buildings, including a book press and a winery that produced some 70,000 gallons of wine in 1886.
After almost 20 years on the site, Harris was run off the land in 1892 by local Christian groups who opposed his mysticism and arcane ways.
The Fountaingrove charter allowed that the last member of the New Eden group to remain on the land would inherit the property. This person was Kanaye Nagasawa, who lived on the land until his death. Nagasawa, among other things, built the famous round barn and traded viticultural information with Luther Burbank. The Exclusion Act, however, prevented Nagasawa from leaving the land to his heirs when he died. The land fell into county hands and has since been divided and sold to various individuals and businesses.



The final component of our visit was Artistry in Wood, an annual exhibition presented by the Sonoma County Woodworkers Association in partnership with the Museum of Sonoma County. Staged every year since 1982, it is recognized as one of the premier fine woodworking shows in North America and has become a favorite among museum visitors.
I loved the details of Charlie Saul's Octopus.
I appreciated the raw message of The Calculated and Systematic Dismantling and Sinking of Blue Collar Workers.
Paul Marini's A Mouse's Life mesmerized. Wood, as an artform, is pretty impressive.

Who knew a 110 year old building, set to be destroyed, could hold so many treasures. What history. What art. What discoveries. What fun.