Brief History From Del Troy
The house now known as the Errea House was built by a local doctor between 1870 and 1875 in Williamsburg, more commonly known as Old Tehichipa. After the railroad tracks were laid through what is now the present site of Tehachapi, many houses and other buildings were moved from Williamsburg to the present town site.
Around 1900, E. L. Vidaillet moved the house from Old Tehichipa to its present site at 310 South Green Street on log rollers. It was rented to the LaFarge family.
Antonio Redin (Grace Errea’s uncle) acquired the house from E. L. Vidaillet In 1923. Grace’s mother inherited the house upon Antonio’s death in 1927.
Constructed from redwood, the original architectural style of the house is known as a saltbox, a simple rectangle. The current kitchen and bathroom were added after city water and sewers became available, replacing the well and outhouse in the backyard. The current back porch replaces an older, canvas roofed porch that was destroyed in the 1952 earthquake when a water tank collapsed onto it.
The oldest structure in the city of Tehachapi, the THL rented and later purchased the house from Dr. Jerry Gassaway in 1998. Without his assistance, the building might well have been demolished. Dr. Gassaway also paid for landscaping and yard work, which allowed the THL to later restore the garden under the supervision of Mary Farrell.
At the time the THL first rented the house, there was extensive vandalism. After securing the house and replacing windows and screens, with the assistance of the Knights of Columbus and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was used as an office, library and storage for the THL, as well as the Tomo Kahni Resource Center. A grant was received from the Arkelian - West Foundation to replace the roof. John Sammis and Evelyn Eccleston, along with other volunteers painted the exterior, while Jerry Pattison painted the inside.
On July 29, 1997, the Errea House was officially placed on the National Register, the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation which provides a number of incentives for preservation of historic properties, including special building codes to facilitate the restoration of historic structures. On the same date, the property was also placed on the California Register of Historical Resources.
Remembrances Of Mary Farrell From The July 1996 “Settler’s Gazette”
Mary Farrell was baby-sat by Grace Errea in the mid 1920’s. She remembers many stories about the history of the Erreas: Along with many Basque wood-choppers, Jose Errea came to United States, then returned to Spain to find a wife. Coming to California with his new wife, they settled in Tehachapi, where Jose worked as a woodsman at the nearby lime kiln. Later, they purchased the house at 310 S. Green from Louis Vidaillet, when their children were old enough to go to school. Their children, Grace, Martin, Joaquin and Joe lived most of their lives in the home.
The three Errea boys served in the military during WWII and old timers remember Grace at Squires’ Drug Store, making the best milkshakes in Kern County. She later retired as a Kern County Health Department worker, having started at the Keene TB facility after she left the drug store.
Martin worked in local grocery stores and food services for many years before retiring. Joe did not return to Tehachapi when the war ended, and Joaquin and his wife eventually moved to northern California.
Grace and Martin remained in the house, which was purchased from the Errea estate by Dr. Curtis Madding. He later sold the property to Dr. Jerry Gassaway. |
