The Story Behind THE MOREY MANSION | Redlands, CA

Would you believe this show-stopping Queen Anne Victorian was obtained for only $20,000?

Built in 1890 by David Morey and his wife Sarah, it was one of the grand mansions in a town that was once a hub of wealth in California’s Gilded Age.

As one of the pioneers of California’s Inland Empire, the couple had moved from Northern California to Redlands in 1882, to start a brand new life.

David Morey was a shipbuilder and carpenter, who got to work building houses as soon as they arrived. His wife Sarah Morey got busy growing a citrus nursery on their newly purchased 20 acre ranch. Over the years, Sarah made a fortune selling her seedlings and citrus trees to local developers. And by 1889, after selling her successful nursery, the couple found themselves sitting on a nice fat sum of money.

The Moreys used their newfound wealth to hire architect Jerome Seymour and expert woodworker Lee Wilmarth, to build them the home of their dreams. Completed in 1890, they named their brand new 5,400 square foot mansion, Hermosa Vista. The entire project cost them about $20,000. Though $20,000 may not sound like much to you, in today’s money, it equates to about $652,000.

The three-storey tall home with its unique onion dome, featured five bedrooms, four bathrooms, intricate carvings, gorgeous spindle work, arched doorways, beveled Belgium glass in the downstairs windows, and stained glass transoms.

Tragedy struck in 1901, when Sarah Morey died a sudden death, causing the grief stricken Mr. Morey to move out of the house, never to return again. To escape from his misery, he became an alcoholic, and within a year, he would take his own life. He was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at San Diego’s Hotel Del Coronado.

After the Moreys’ death, the home went through multiple owners, including the beautiful actress Carole Lombard in the 1940s. Her uncle had left it to her in his will. Sadly, she died in a tragic plane crash before she could take ownership.

In 1985, after a string of even more ownerships, the mansion opened as the first bed and breakfast in Redlands.

The home remained a bed and breakfast for several decades, even undergoing extensive restoration in the early 2000s.

After even more owners, spending time in foreclosure, and then some more time on the market, the Morey Mansion most recently sold for $850,000. That was back in 2014. And so far so good. It has yet to change hands.

No longer a bed and breakfast, today it is a private residence. But rumor has it that the ghost of Sarah Morey and some other boisterous characters still linger in the house.

Throughout the years, there have been reports from former guests about a little girl who laughs while running down the halls late at night, an old man, possibly a former caretaker, who shoos people off the property then disappears, doors opening and closing on their own, doorknobs ratting, and mysterious orbs.

Situated directly on Terracina Boulevard, the Morey Mansion continues to bring traffic to a halt, attracting all sorts of picture takers, paranormal dabblers, and architectural buffs.

*********

The Story Behind The MOREY MANSION (Redlands, CA)
   • The Story Behind THE MOREY MANSION | Redla...