Back In Time
Community Keeps Red Bluff’s Kelly-Griggs House and Its Stories Alive…
The Victorian homes of Red Bluff have long been part of the charm of the town. Drives up and down the presidential streets (Lincoln, Jefferson, Madison, etc.) reveal multiple examples of the various styles of Victorian architecture and can conjure questions of what life was like when the houses were first built.
An answer lies at 311 Washington St., where the Kelly-Griggs House Museum has been in operation since the 1960s, when the local chapter of the American Association of University Women determined to buy and preserve the home from the last surviving Kelly family member. The AAUW members, along with many others, formed a nonprofit organization to transform the house into a museum and keep the stories of early Red Bluff families alive. After four years of restoration, they opened the house to public tours.
The sale made the Kelly-Griggs House Museum Association only the third owner of the two-story Italianate style of Victorian home believed to have been built in 1880. The original owner, Sidney Allen Griggs, ran a sheep ranch on Mill Creek. His wife, Melvina, lived alone in the home from his death in 1906 until her own in 1931, when the property sold to the Kelly family. Once again, time whittled occupancy down to a single woman. Anne Kelly sold the house to the museum association in 1966.
The final home purchase of $22,000 at 4 percent interest over 10 years included a plethora of original furnishings, one of which was a square grand piano that arrived via a trip around Cape Horn. Original chandeliers remain, as does a complete walnut and marble bedroom set and smaller items of the Griggs family, such as a sewing machine and trunks.
Rounding out the original furnishings are numerous antique heirlooms and photos donated by Tehama County families. Of note is a painting of the goddess Persephone by abolitionist John Brown’s daughter. There’s also a painting of the Stanford Ranch in Vina and one of Fort Baker in the Bay Area, a favorite of museum board member Linda Torres, who grew up near it. “There’s a lot of local history about our county in that house,” she says. “Clothes, dishes, furniture. I really don’t think people realize how much history is here.”
“It’s a valuable part of our community,” she adds, which is why she is leading an effort to bring awareness to the museum through outreach and social media. “We’ve really been working for the last couple years to resurrect the place.” While the museum has never formally closed, it did suffer programming shutdowns during COVID and is facing physical challenges of being almost 150 years old.
Yet, just as in the 1960s when community members rallied to purchase the house, so too do they come out to keep it going now. The Red Bluff Garden Club maintains the grounds, and business people and organizations have stepped in to do repairs and technical work that keep the museum going. A grant from the McConnell Foundation replaced the roof.
The house is in need of foundation repair, which requires significant support. “It’s embarrassing to ask for help, but people don’t know you need help unless you ask,” says Torres.
Later this month, the community will gather for the annual ice cream social fundraiser, which will take place on September 21 from 2-4 pm. The Red Bluff Community Band will provide entertainment and Dad’s Ice Cream will serve up the cold treats. Vintage items will be for sale and all proceeds will support the museum.
Torres emphasizes that the museum is an important gathering place for the community. Community concerts take place on the lawn during the summer and educational lectures are held monthly. On November 15, Sam Story will present on vintage men’s clothing. Past lectures have included quilt history, John and Annie Bidwell, and Tehama County Place Names.
Guided tours of the house are available on the first and third Sundays from 1-4 pm and arrangements can be made for special or group viewings. Volunteers are always needed, from fundraising to docent presentations.
September 21 is the last day of summer, and people are invited to send off the season with ice cream and a step back in time, all in support of community connection and a historic house that keeps stories alive. •
Kelly-Griggs House Museum
www.kellygriggsmuseum.com
311 Washington St., Red Bluff
(530) 527-1129
