Historic Zilicon Valley Mansion!

Historic Zilicon Valley Mansion!

Historic Zilicon Valley Mansion!

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Long before Silicon Valley existed as a bastion of high tech industry, Percy Morgan, from a prominent Welch family, had quit Oxford at the age of 14 and went to work learning banking and accounting. This accomplished, he set out for America at the age of 21 to make his fortune. And that he did. After sojourns in Colorado running his accounting business, he went to Montana to become superintendent of the Republic Mining and Smelting Company in Cooke City. Finding the weather in Montana to be brutal, he went to San Francisco in 1885. There he advanced rapidly in both business and wealth accumulation. Morgan is also known for creating the California Wine Association, which was the largest winery in the world at that time, and he was one of the first trustees at Stanford University.

In 1893, Morgan married Fanny Babbit Ainsworth, who he called "Daisy." Four years later he bought 100 acres of land. In 1989 and in bad health, his doctor ordered rest. He and his family took the grand tour of Europe where they saw the tudor mansion, Speke Hall. During their travels they purchased furnishings and accessories with the idea to replicate Speke Hall on their 100 acres. It was completed in 1914 at a cost of $400,000 which would translate to $9.3 million today.

After Morgan’s death in 1920, the estate passed through various owners including a private school. After the school closed and the mansion fell into disrepair, it was purchased by venture capitalist Kelly Porter and his wife Christina in 1999, who spent millions restoring and updating the home to current standards.

At 30,000 square feet now on 8 manageable acres, the home has 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, a ballroom, and a speakeasy bar located in a secret room behind the library bookcases. The wine cellar is carved out of stone and will hold thousands of bottles. There is also a caretaker’s home and separate building which houses the gym. The main house has over two dozen rooms. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, thereby lowering taxes and offering grants to assist in upkeep.

Silicon Valley historic Tudor mansion, once priced at $45 million – now relisted at $27 million.

Source: www.sothebysrealty.com