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Published on 06/12/1995 All articles from this issue

Restoration to start on Griffin House

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees at the June 5 meeting unanimously agreed that work could start on the stabilization of the Griffin House.

The Griffin House is a 94-year-old building on the Foothill College campus that survived earthquakes in 1906 and 1989, but is regarded as a well designed and constructed building.

The Griffin House is owned by the Foothill-De Anza district and was designed in 1901 by Architects Frank Wolfe and Charles S. McKenzie of San Jose. It is an example of the evolution in architecture from the Queen Anne style to the shingle style that occurred in California around the turn of the century.

In February, 1994, the Board of Trustees entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Committee to Save the Griffin House (CSGH), allowing the committee to raise funds to enable the District to stabilize the building and prevent further deterioration.

The Board determined that no restoration work could start until $100,000 was available to restore the building. To date, $101,000 has been raised by CSGH. Board Member Dolores Sandoval said it was time to get this started before more deterioration sets in.

Sept. 20 the committee announced their selection of the San Francisco firm, Architectural Resources Group (ARG), that will work to protecti and stabilize the Griffin House.

The committee, ARG and the District staff have completed a detailed study of the Griffin House and prepared a short and long range plan for its restoration, including the potential cost for each element.

At a previous meeting Sept. 20, Nancy Mason, Chair of CSGH said, "Nothing has been done on the house for over 20 years, and there are 3 layers of roofs that have to be removed before a new roof can be replaced. That stuff is mush when it rains."

The plans call for the removal of the roof material, replacing the gutters and re-shingling the roof. The plans include replacement of one wall, redoing the front stairs and recovering the windows and doors.

The Board reminded the committee, while alternative methods for the work will be considered, the budget of $101,000 will not be exceeded.