Hayes Mansion, San Jose, California
historic place
The Hayes Mansion, a historic place in San Jose, Santa Clara County, was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architect George W. Page. Construction began in 1903 and was completed in 1905. This mansion replaced an earlier family home destroyed by fire in 1899. Mary Folsom Hayes Chynoweth commissioned the mansion, intending it as a residence for herself and her two sons, Jay Orley and Everis A. Hayes. She passed away before its completion. The Hayes brothers were influential. They published the San Jose Mercury and San Jose Herald newspapers. Everis A. Hayes served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1904 to 1918. Jay Orley Hayes founded the California Prune and Apricot Growers Association. The mansion features 62 rooms and 11 fireplaces, with interiors paneled in various woods. It served as a center for social and political activity. The Hayes family sold the property in the 1950s. In 1985, the City of San Jose purchased it, and after renovation, it reopened as a conference center in 1994. A historical marker was erected in 1986. The Hayes Mansion stands as a notable example of early 20th-century architecture and reflects the Hayes family's historical impact on the region.