A centerpiece of the Town of Woodside

Freshly painted, newly relocated and carefully restored to its original humble glory, the old Mathisen farmhouse has taken on its new role as a local history museum.

Capt. Peter Hanson’s widow, Anna, married Peter Mathisen, a coachman for J.A. Hooper. According to legend, the house was completed the day before the 1906 earthquake. Mathisen’s son Arthur and Arthur’s wife, Dora, raised their five children—two sets of twin girls and a son—in the house. The family lived in the house until 1991. A barn and a bunkhouse for farm workers were on the property.

Slated for demolition, the Mathisen house was saved and renovated in 2003 with private funding organized by the Woodside History Committee, led by Jeanne Dickey. It now houses the Museum and other offices. The committee members pictured here from left to right are Richard Tagg, Dolores Degnan, Lisha Mainz, Bob Mullen, Gretchen Tenenbaum, Patty Nance, Delia Ehrlich, Jennifer Werbe, Thalia Lubin, Cutty Smith, and Bill New.