Sirrine House
Due to a lack of city funding, the
Sirrine House will only be open for specially
funded events.
The Sirrine House, operated by the
Arizona Museum of Natural History, is Mesa's only fully-restored,
Victorian era historic home museum.
HISTORY
The Sirrine House was built in 1896 by Joel E.
Sirrine for his new bride, Caroline Simkins Sirrine.
In February 1986, the Sirrine Historic House Museum
was opened to the public. This was the culmination of
six years of community support, both in time and
money, to preserve this part of Mesa's history. The
City of Mesa, with the help of the Mesa Historical and
Archaeological Society and many other groups and
individuals, was instrumental in the success of the
restoration project.
The Museum and the
Southwest
Archaeology Team began a research study of the
home in order to make the restoration as accurate as
possible. Many years and occupants meant that walls
had been painted and repainted. Only after this
intensive study had been completed was the restoration
work begun.
The original house, built by Joel Sirrine in the
center of Mesa, is three rooms with a large wooden
porch, high ceilings for cooling, and wooden
baseboards, windowsills and trimmings. The lumber for
the home was purchased in Prescott and freighted to
the valley by Joel and his brother, Warren. The wood
was primarily Ponderosa pine. The brick for the house
was made by the Shill family of Lehi.
The home is furnished to represent the first years
after the turn of the century, with actual period
piece antiques and collectibles which are authentic to
the time. The home is elegant but simple. Decisions
about furnishings were based on knowledge of the
times, the people who lived in the home, and the style
of this particular area. Artifacts were donated or
purchased by the museum staff with funds provided by
the Arizona Museum of Natural History Guild.
The effect is that of stepping into a Mesa home of
about 100 years ago. The hope is that this historic
home will give the people of today a glimpse back in
time to the Mesa of the early 1900's.
For more information on Mesa's history, visit the
Mesa
Historical Museum.
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