Einstein House (Fresno, California)
Einstein House | |
 Facade with elaborate bay window supporting second floor balcony | |
   | |
| Location | 1600 M Street Fresno, California 93721 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°44′33″N 119°47′37″W / 36.74250°N 119.79361°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Edward T. Foulkes |
| Architectural style | English Arts and Crafts |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000662 |
| Added to NRHP | January 31, 1978 |
The Einstein House is a historic home in Fresno, California listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Edward T. Foulkes designed the house, later known as the YWCA Activity Unit and the Joyce Gibson-Bennett Building.
History
[edit]The English Arts and Crafts was completed 1912 for prominent merchant and banker Louis Einstein. He died in 1914 but his widow, Eda Einstein lived in the house until she passed away. In 1950, the YWCA of Fresno bought the house to serve as an activity center for the adjacent YWCA Building.[1]
In 1979, the YWCA opened the Marjaree Mason Center in both buildings to focus on serving victims of domestic violence. In 1998, the group disaffiliated from the national Y to become an independent agency. [2]
The house became the group's headquarters and renamed to the Joyce Gibson-Bennett Building to honor a local trial attorney who supported the center. In 2025, the center moved to a newer and larger facility, the Isnardi Foundation Building.[3]
Architecture
[edit]
The English Arts and Crafts architecture provides a cottage design. The exterior of the building consists of plaster applied over brick with a rounded roof. An elaborate bay window which in turn supports a balcony on the second floor dominates the front of the building. An upward curvature of the roofline accentuates this feature. To the left is a small veranda with Doric columns supporting an open porch on the second floor.[1]
Inside, the brick fireplace in the living room continues the style with an entablature supported by Doric columns. Unusually, the basement contains both the summer living room along with a game room to escape the hot San Joaquin Valley.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Comegys, Valerie D. (August 31, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Einstein House". National Register of Historic Places. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service. Retrieved March 6, 2025 – via National Archives.
- ^ "Marjaree Mason Center Place of Refuge for the Defenseless". The Business Journal. Fresno, California: Pacific Publishing Group. October 23, 2000. p. 22. Retrieved March 6, 2025 – via EBSCO.
- ^ Colón, Brisa (February 26, 2025). "Grand opening for Marjaree Mason Center's new facility". KFSN-TV. Fresno, California: ABC Owned TV Stations. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- Arts and Crafts architecture in California
- National Register of Historic Places in Fresno County, California
- Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- Houses in Fresno County, California
- Houses completed in 1912
- 1912 establishments in California
- YWCA buildings
- History of women in California