An estimated 800 attendees participated in the 2014 Santa Clara Historic Home Tour, which took place on Dec. 5-6. One of the six addresses featured in this annual tour was the Fassett House, 590 Monroe Street, noted for being a 1905 period revival home. Painted a cool azure blue on the outside, the home’s interior atmosphere was warm with seasonal and vintage decor.
“The house was built in 1905 by Ceylon Fassett,” says Paul, who lives in the home. “He was in the 8th Regiment Illinois Calvary during the Civil War. His regiment pursued John Wilkes Booth after the Lincoln assassination. The regiment was also involved in every major battle of the Civil War.”
“Ceylon Fassett and his wife, Mary A. Lane, came here from Illinois in 1894 and they farmed apricots and pears here,” adds Diane, Paul’s wife.
Visitors from the tour enjoyed viewing the home’s festive holiday table setting with crimson antique plates, made from American pressed glass, set over cream and gold dinnerware. On the dining room credenza was a vintage radio from 1942. Shown inside a glass cabinet was a century-old china set. A mirrored bedroom armoire was made in the 1850s, and came from part of a wagon train, that could be broken down and reassembled. Also considered an antique was a tulip lamp, casting a mellow light in a hallway. The master bathroom’s cast iron tub, resting on legs, is part of the original home. Also part of the original home are the glass windows, over 100 years old.
Seasonal accents displayed during the tour of the Fassett home included: Santa-themed ceramics in the kitchen, a tall Christmas tree in the office, the poinsettia print cushions in the master bedroom, and angels in the dining area and on the Christmas tree in the office.
“We love all the architectural details here,” Diane says. “The home is built from redwood from the Santa Cruz mountain range. Our home takes advantage of the natural light in the rooms for the time of day we use them. You get full southern exposure in the living areas.”
Diane says that the home was once part of HGTV’s Flip It to Win It, a show about home renovations. She and Paul purchased the home from the people who renovated it.
