8/17 Redman House earns historic standing

By DONNA JONES
Sentinel staff writer

WATSONVILLE — A new historic designation has raised hopes for the future of a dilapidated 19th-century Pajaro Valley farmhouse.

The Redman House, a two-story Queen Anne Victorian designed by famed local architect William Weeks in 1897 and visible from Highway 1 near Riverside Drive, has been approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The federal designation is good news for the Redman House Foundation, a 5-year-old group that aims to restore the mansion but has struggled to reach that goal.

"From the standpoint of the national register, it makes (the house) more qualified for some types of grants," said Dale Skillicorn, foundation president. "From a public-relations standpoint, it helps people see ... it’s worth helping save."

The five-bedroom home was built for sugar beet farmer James Redman, and was owned for many years by the Hirahara family, who held onto the property despite being sent to an interment camp during World War II. The property was purchased by a developer in the 1980s.
The foundation has an option to purchase the historic home and the 14 acres that surround it for $2.4 million, and is negotiating with owner Green Farm Limited Partnership, Skillicorn said. He estimates that restoring the house will run another $2 million. The foundation plans to convert the property to a visitors center and demonstration farm.

The lease and purchase option expire in November.

Owen Lawlor, spokesman for Green Farm, said negotiations are ongoing.
"We share the community’s enthusiasm to have the building restored," Lawlor said. "But there has to be an economic underpinning to make that possible. ... That’s a pretty significant piece."
It’s a piece that has challenged the foundation. Last fall, the group nearly lost its lease after missing a $20,000 payment. Skillicorn, a Watsonville City Councilman, subsequently took over the helm of the organization, and a donor came forward to cover the missed payment.
Now Skillicorn said the foundation has $200,000 for a down payment, and believes a deal on a final purchase contract is close.

"As far as I’m concerned, nothing is going to stop us," he said.