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Wood rot, worn floors and water damage are just a few of the problems that need fixing in Mountain View’s oldest home – the Rengstorff House. The city is planning to make those repairs and more to restore the landmark house, which now largely serves as a history museum.
On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously backed a staff recommendation to increase the budget for the Rengstorff House project from $1 million to $1.5 million. The bulk of that funding, roughly $920,000, will pay for the consulting firm Page and Turnbull to provide design and construction support services. The city has not yet estimated the cost of the construction work.
The recommendation passed as a consent item, which are typically non-controversial matters approved in a single vote.
“Rengstorff is another building in the community that we treasure,” Council member Pat Showalter said at the Nov. 10 meeting. “It also needs some TLC.”
Built around 1867, the Rengstorff House is notable for its Victorian Italianate architecture as well as its storied history. The home was originally built for Henry Rengstorff, a gold rush settler who ultimately made his fortune as a rancher and local businessman. Decades later, the house was abandoned and fell into disrepair, with its restoration serving as the motivation for an elaborate kidnapping plot that went awry.
In 1979, Mountain View purchased the Rengstorff House for $1 and moved it to Shoreline Park where it sat vacant. Seven years later, the city relocated the two-story building to its current spot, 3070 N. Shoreline Blvd.
In 1991, the city fully restored the house and opened the bottom floor as a history museum with the second floor set aside for administrative offices. The city also rents out the property grounds with partial access to the house for large gatherings, including weddings.
Over time, however, Rengstorff House has experienced its share of wear and tear. The building is in need of maintenance and “updated and renewed infrastructure,” according to the city staff report.
Staff identified numerous problems with the house, including water damage, insufficient electrical writing, a worn roof and floors and deteriorating paint. Ventilation ductwork, fire alarm and sanitary sewage systems need fixing as well. The restrooms and parking lot also do not comply with accessibility regulations, according to the report.
Meanwhile the scope of the maintenance work could grow as other structures on the property still need to be inspected, including the water tower, windmill and storage shed, the staff report said.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council authorized city staff to hire Page and Turnbull, an architectural firm specializing in historic preservation, to provide design and construction support services for the project. At the same time, the city increased the project funding from $1 million to $1.5 million, as the consulting fees would have used up most of the original budget.
“The additional funding is necessary due to the expanded scope of the project, including deferred maintenance needs and additional historic preservation design requirements associated with the property and accessory buildings, both of which were more extensive than originally anticipated,” the staff report said.
The design phase for improvements to Rengstorff House is anticipated to be completed by spring 2028, according to the report. Construction is expected to begin later that fall after the peak wedding season ends.
