Historic Napa home burns | Napa Valley Register

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Historic Napa home burns

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

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By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer

A home listed as a Napa County landmark received serious fire damage on Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of the fire that started in a historic home in the 1200 block of Hagen Road is under investigation.

The owner, Marsha Linstad, said the house was built in 1871 and is registered with Napa County Landmarks. She and her husband, Jerry, a retired Richmond fire chief, have lived in the two-story home for 30 years.

Linstad said she and her husband have been remodeling the home for more than three decades.

“I was in the living room and saw smoke and flames coming from the laundry room. I got out of the house very quickly,” Linstad said. Her husband was not in the home at the time.

Napa County and city firefighters and engines responded to the blaze.

The nearest fire hydrant was about 1,500 feet from the house. Firefighters had to lay hose from the hydrant along Hagen Road to the burning structure.

The Linstad Farmstead now is home to the old barn once located on Old Sonoma Road. One of only two barns in California of the New England design, it was won at public auction and moved, board by board, to its new home. There it joined other historic structures including a home, smokehouse, tank house and other buildings remniscent of 19th-century farming in Napa Valley.

6 comment(s)

napamomma wrote on Feb 12, 2008 5:12 PM:

" I'm sorry for your loss :0( "

AmCan Mom wrote on Feb 12, 2008 10:54 PM:

" Joe: My guess is that since it was purchased at auction and then "moved board by board", it was likely put back together rather securely. I can't see anyone paying not only for a structure, but for it's piece by piece dismantling and moving, and then having it reassembled in a rickety fashion. Just my two cents... "

Local Yokel wrote on Feb 13, 2008 12:20 PM:

" This was obviously very painful for the Linstad family and a sad loss of a historic structure from the old Napa Valley. However, I am surprised that the fire protection was not better, especially considering the ex fire chief status. I thought insurance required better protection? "

Joe wrote on Feb 13, 2008 2:26 PM:

" I think buildings that are restored or dismantled and put back together shouldn't be considered historic. They aren't the same as they were before. They have newer wood. It's not the same old wood that had been there for all those years. By the way I wonder why my other comment was removed. The one that AmCan Mom was responding to? "

AmCan Mom wrote on Feb 13, 2008 6:44 PM:

" Joe: The story was changed up top also. It had been talking about the BARN burning (and it was the barn they had mentioned was moved) now it says the house. I agree with you, though, about calling it historic if it is newer materials. If they use all the same wood, and the same "floor plan" and just new hardware I can see still calling it historic; but what is the percentage required to call it historic? All this aside, Linstad family, I also am sorry for your loss. Especially after putting so many years into restoring the structure, this is a sad loss. "

14obama wrote on Feb 14, 2008 8:59 AM:

" Some people just don't have any class! I live on First Ave. and pass by nearly every day.I've seen all of the hard work that has gone into the whole thing. Jerry has done a 'first class' job at restoring all the buildings.Nearly all old structures need Some new wood etc.! Yes,this IS historical! Too bad so many have been lost to 'plastic people'! Rich Formo "

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