Gibson Mansion

William Byas Gibson (1831–1906), originally from Virginia, moved from Missouri to Yolo County in 1850 and began to farm and raise livestock. In 1857, he purchased 320 acres (130 ha) of land south of Woodland with a small home on the property, which would later be the center of his 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) estate.[3][4] Near Christmas of 1857, William married Mary Isabel Cook (d.1915) of Kentucky. They had three sons: Robert (1859-1941), Thomas (b.1861), and Joseph (1863-1897).[5] As the family grew and as their wealth increased, they enlarged the house several times between the 1870s to the 1910s, remodeling it into the current mansion.[6][7][4] Gibson died in 1906 and the home was occupied by Robert and his wife Elnora Root until her death 1963.[3][8] Between 1963 and 1975 the home and the acreage it is on was uncared for and dilapidated, and some labeled it a haunted house during this vacancy.[7][9] In 1975, efforts to purchase the house and the 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) it resides on were directed by the County of Yolo to establish it as a county park and the first countywide historical museum. Yolo County Historical Museum Corporation was incorporated in 1986, and their board of directors operated the museum, on behalf of the county, until 2018, when the Yolo County Board of Supervisors transferred stewardship of the house and grounds to YoloArts, the County arts organization to change the usage of the property. [9][10] The museum is open to the public on weekdays.

Gibson House was Yolo County's first countywide historical museum.[9] It was designated by the National Park Service to be on the National Register of Historic places on November 7, 1976, about a year after the County of Yolo purchased the house.[1] The museum houses rooms of historical furniture and items dating from the 1850s through the 1930s. There are also changing exhibits relating to the history of Yolo County.[9] On the museum grounds there is a functional blacksmith shop, a dairy display, a root cellar, a laundry display, as well as two barns, one used for display, and the other for classroom and exhibit space. Additionally, the County museum curator is located onsite to catalogue all museum artifacts. [7]

• Gibson Museum and Cultural Center (YoloArts) - website