If you are seeking the luxuries of the 1920’s while enjoying
the conveniences of the 21st Century you may be interested staying
at Dolcy Hayes Mansion in San Jose. From its marble floors to heated pool you
live history in a style other hotels simply can’t match. The past comes to life
again in both a historical and modern luxury resort style hotel that caters to
their customer’s indulgences. Learn a little history as you sip a cocktail on
the heated patio and in the cool California evening air.
Mary Chynoweth, widow of Anson Hayes and wife of attorney
Thomas Chynoweth, commissioned the building of a new mansion in replacement of
the original wood mansion that burnt to the ground in 1899. It contains 41,000+
square feet and the latest fire safety precautions. At one time, the property
raised livestock and crops. It maintained quarters for 40 workers, a post
office, power plant, railway, chapel and a self-sufficient status. It was
vacated in the 1950’s and sat dilapidated until 1990 when the City of San Jose
purchased it as a historical landmark.
The Queen Ann Style Home was designed by the architect George
Page and hosted 62 rooms. The house was
large enough to accommodate the three related families of Mary Folsom Hayes
Chynoweth and her two sons. Mary Folsom was born to a large family in New York
and travelled around the country preaching to people. She had a deeply religious experience and spent
a portion of her life healing people. Her first husband died when their
children were attending college in Wisconsin. She then married the attorney Thomas
Chynoweth and moved onto a new life.
After establishment in the mining industry in Ashland
Wisconsin the family moved to San Jose and became well-known politicians,
publishers, and developed fruit growing in the area. Today the location is
considered a national landmark and offers an upscale hotel and conference facilities.
There are 20 acres of property and plenty of parking. The rooms are well-kept
and dining, bar, and a pool is available on site. The properly and building are
in near perfect condition with few flaws to be found. Stained glass windows,
marble floors, fireplaces, and heavy wood trim line the walls.
You may be interested in knowing that the site hosts 33,000
feet of functional conference space with 24 meeting rooms. Resident rooms can
be found in the same building as the conference facilities making them
convenient. Video conferencing and free Wi-Fi can also be found throughout the
facilities. Airport and golfing services are available within 15 minutes drive which
makes the location convenient for vacationers. The neighborhood appears to be quiet,
clean and safe and a local park next to the hotel adds to its charm.
Some have noted that the mansion is haunted with ghosts from
the distant past. In my trip I did not see an indication that a haunting was occurring.
Yet I forgot my plasma gun, kinetic energy meter, ghost traps and other Ghostbusters
equipment at home (jk). With a history dating back over a hundred and some
years anything is possible. I would suppose if I exercised really hard in the
gym and then jumped in the sauna for over an hour I would see something
peculiar.
When traveling and searching out historical places to stay
we might be disappointed by the quality of the experience. Sometimes historical
landmarks lack a level of updated convenience or maintenance. Dolce Hayes
Mansion is not one of those places. Even though it maintains its old world
charm it has turned the roaring 1920’s into the bellowing 2010’s in a seamless
and updated way. The mansion is a great
place to experience the luxury of the past in affordable prices of the present.
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| Patio |
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| Wood Structure |
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| Stone Structure |
