122 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {landmark} words by ANDREA GEMMET • photography by ROBB MOST What better place to put a local history museum than in a historic house? Preservationminded Woodsiders did just that—but it wasn’t easy. Construction on one-time Pioneer Hotel owner Peter Mathisen’s house in Woodside Town Center was completed one day before the 1906 earthquake struck, according to local lore. For the next 85 years, three generations of his family called it home. In 1992, the town of Woodside bought the old Mathisen farmstead, including the barn, bunkhouse and surrounding land, planning to tear down the structures and install parking spaces. Fast-forward to 1999, when the much-delayed parking project was finally getting woodside community museum underway. Members of the Woodside History Committee pleaded with the Town Council to spare the sturdy old farmhouse, a reminder of Woodside’s humble origins. It’s a deal, the council said, but only if you can raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars the project will cost— and, by next week, draw up a plan for relocating the house from its current site. Remarkably, the volunteer committee pulled it off. Woodside architects Thalia and Steve Lubin drafted plans for repairing and renovating the Mathisen house, uncovering its original siding and restoring its porch. Woodside contractor William Butler’s firm handled the work and in 2003, the Woodside Community Museum opened its doors with an exhibit on the area’s first inhabitants: the Ohlone. Since then, exhibitions have celebrated everything from the town’s equestrian heritage and great estates to its long history of wine-making. The museum’s newest display honors the 100th anniversary of the Woodside Fire Protection District. Visit on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 1 to 3PM; admission is free. woodsidehistory.org
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