Ronald Reagan's Forsaken Governor's Mansion Is Up For Sale—And It Includes A Mysterious Time Capsule

1 month ago 26

Topline

A 12,000-square-foot home commissioned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan to be a new California governor’s mansion has hit the market for $7.5 million—and it includes a custom-built bar gifted by John Wayne and a mysterious time capsule from the era.

The house at 2300 California Ave. was designed to be a governor's mansion by the Reagan family.

Glenn Rose Photography.

Key Facts

The sprawling one-story house was built in 1975 on 4.3 acres overlooking the American River with eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, two kitchens, six outdoor water features, a pool, two outdoor fire pits and a large lawn originally designed as a helipad.

Built as an official government residence before later being sold into private ownership, it also features Great Seals of California on the front door and entryway, a grand ballroom with chandeliers, two living rooms and an in-home bar bearing a distinctive bullet mark from a John Wayne movie, reportedly gifted to Reagan by Wayne for the mansion.

Also included in the sale is an extra-long dining table originally picked out by future First Lady Nancy Reagan during the building of the home, that she reportedly asked remain with the property when it was sold into private ownership.

In 1976, the Reagans also left behind a time capsule buried 50 to 60 feet below the home’s atrium with strict instructions it not be opened for 100 years—nobody knows what’s inside, but it will convey with the sale.

If it sells for asking price, the house will set a record for Sacramento County, according to the Sacramento Bee, and become one of only six residential sales in the region to top $7 million in the last five years.

Known as Casa de los Gobernadores, or Governor’s House, the home at 2300 California Ave. in Carmichael is listed with Hattie Coleman of HomeSmart ICare Realty.

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2300 California Ave.

Glenn Rose Photography

A dining table chosen by Nancy Reagan.

Glenn Rose Photography.

To the left, a bar gifted the the Reagans by John Wayne.

Glenn Rose Photography.

A time capsule left by Ronald and Nancy Reagan under the atrium.

Glenn Rose Photography

Key Background

Reagan supporters, including tire magnate Leonard K. Firestone, raised money to buy the property for Casa de los Gobernadores and the California legislature allocated $1.5 million to build the home as a future governor’s mansion in the early 1970s. The Reagans worked with residential architects Buff & Hensman and state architect John C. Worsley to design the house, but never actually lived there (construction was finished after he left office). Reagan’s predecessor, Jerry Brown, refused to live in the mansion and dubbed it the "Taj Mahal," choosing to instead live in an apartment near the state capitol. Brown’s successor, Gov. George Deukmejian, lived in a home purchased with private funds and the next two governors followed suit. The Carmichael property was ultimately sold to a developer in 1983, whose widow sold it in 2004 for $4.1 million, after then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wife Maria Shriver submitted a letter asking to buy it for $2 million.

Surprising Fact

Casa de los Gobernadores was built after the Reagans refused to live longterm in the 30-room, three story Victorian Gothic mansion in Sacramento that had been the official governor's residence since 1903. Nancy Reagan wrote in her memoirs that the "so-called mansion, built in 1877, had been declared a fire hazard for years before we moved in. It was a tinderbox." She complained about the house's proximity to the road and, after living there for four months, moved her family to a residential neighborhood on the east side of Sacramento before building Casa de los Gobernadores. No other governor lived in the historic Victorian building until 2015, when a $4 million renovation was finished and Brown, who was again governor from 2011 to 2019, said he and his wife would stay there. Current Gov. Gavin Newsom’s family lived in the mansion for a few weeks in 2019 before relocating to a “more kid-friendly house.” California is one of only a few states with no formal governor’s residence.

The pool at 2300 California Ave.

Glenn Rose Photography