The Washburn House

Our Office Building – The “Washburn House”

The story of “The House that Moved to Redlands” is unique. Due to the rich history, it makes it one of the many irreplaceable Victorian homes in Redlands.

It all started in 1893…

Construction actually began in 1887 and additional was work was done in 1893. Dr. Sherman H. Washburn decided to combine two separate houses from two different areas. The house, now, is a combination of those two houses that were combined by Dr. Washburn. The back portion of the house is the original house footprint, which consisted of six rooms and a bathroom – all which cost $600 in the late 1800’s.

Dr. Washburn wanted to expand his space, so he decided to transport a second home from Elsinore and had it placed directly in front of the original home. This added on four more rooms and the front staircase you see when walking inside. The kitchen and large common work areas, along with the combination of the two homes, has provided employees with a comfortable work space.

Dr. Washburn

Dr. Washburn and his family are equally as interesting as the history of the home itself. Dr. Washburn was from Vermont and went to Chicago Medical College. He arrived in California in 1887 and lived in Elsinore for a total of six years before moving to Redlands. Once arriving in Redlands, he practiced medicine. Interestingly, the now kitchen, was used as an operating room. In addition, the upstairs was used for patient recovery. This practice was quite common, as hospital space was rare during that time.

In addition to Dr. Washburn, his wife was also an educated woman. She was a graduate from the Juilliard School of Music. She contributed to the rich culture of Redlands. After the death of her husband in 1898, she supported herself by teaching piano lessons.

Life after the Washburns

In the early 1900’s, the house was occupied by a few families. In 1975, Linden and Jeanne Tomlinson took possession of the property and began the last restoration of the home. After a total of eleven years, the home and structure had been restored – as much as possible – to the original state. In addition, the front and side of the home were enhanced in a beautiful way with exquisite landscaping.

In October 1986, the property was placed on the Redlands Historic Register of Historic and Scenic Properties.

Over the past few decades, the property has changed hands and uses on several occasions. Today, though, the home functions as the Law Offices of James B. Church and Associates. Extensive work has been done to preserve this historic Victorian home. The Church Family is humbled to be a part of the history of this home and would like to thank all of those who have gone before them in preserving the “Washburn House.”