As a woman of a certain age, I am conflicted. My once sprightly young self, was always driven by speed, progressive growth and an adapt-or-die mantra. I hopped jobs, road the dot.com wave and always changed with the times. However, with each passing year, I find myself clinging to what “was” and tormented by the implications of change and growth.
Given the crossroads Napa Valley finds itself at, I may be living in the wrong ZIP code. The very fabric of our towns continues to morph with each new winery approval, mega development project and the revolving door syndrome. For all of these reasons, I appreciate local strides that rise above the clamor of change in a fight to preserve Napa Valley’s history. Last year brought the resurrection of the Francis House in Calistoga, which was built in 1886. Once the home of local merchant James H. Francis, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s, due to its architectural and engineering significance from 1875 to 1899. The space was eventually converted into Calistoga Hospital, where it served local citizens from 1919 to 1946 until its decline and ultimate closure by the state of California. It took more than 50 years for the Francis House to reopen, but it was to glorious acclaim, including being named one of 2018’s “15 Best-Designed Hotels Opening this Year,” by Architectural Digest. Granted the rooms rent in excess of $700 a night in season, which prohibits my East Coast contingent from ever staying there, but the preservation of the building is stunning and remains true to the original imprint of the storied building.
Also, in Calistoga, a nearly two-year debate over the fate of the Napa County Fairgrounds progressed when the City of Calistoga reached a tentative agreement with the county to acquire 34.4 acres of the fairground’s 70.6-acre property. The city will gain ownership of the Butler Pavilion, Tubbs Building, Cropp Building, Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga RV Park, and the great lawn, while the county will retain ownership of remaining 36.3-acres of the property, which includes Mount St. Helena Golf Course and the Tucker Building. The City of Calistoga had high hopes of purchasing the full property, but settled for the paired down deal, given the $255,000 per acre price tag, a true sign of the times. The deal will extend the 80-plus year legacy of the fairgrounds, which has endured major transformations over the last decade including the loss of livestock displays and the move from a multi-day format to a one-day event. The Fair Association Board is expected to appoint a new board and create a new vison for program enrichments that aim to preserve state funding and further expand its mission.
In Oakville, the avant-garde Jean-Charles Boisset purchased (as part of his Boisset Collection) Oakville Grocery, which after nearly 140 years as the oldest continually operating grocery store in California, was scheduled to close in 2019. Boisset is infamous for his over-the-top tasting room experiences along with his championing of certified sustainable, organic and biodynamic practices, which he employs at his estates in Sonoma County, Napa Valley, and France. “We often say that we do not own the land. We borrow it from the future generations,” says Boisset. “With Oakville Grocery, the gathering place of Napa and Sonoma, we are responsible vis-à-vis the community, the local vintners, growers and gardeners, the prior owners, and our guests and employees to protect its past and enhance its future. Oakville Grocery will become our call to action, to compel our communities to take stand for the future of food, sustainability and quality.”
The revered Shackford’s kitchen and cooking store in downtown Napa also changed hands, when John Shackford sold the iconic space to Patrick Merkley last October after owning and operating the store for 43 years. Merkley is expected to keep the same “treasure hunt” ambiance the store is known for while expanding its range of unique products and the addition of a demonstration kitchen. He also plans to employ a computerized inventory system, a first in the history of the store, that up until the point of sale used handwritten receipts in lieu of automation.
Newly-elected officials Donald Williams (Calistoga City Council) and Geoff Ellsworth (mayor of St. Helena), potentially further the preservation cause, with platforms centered around hot button issues, including water security, housing, zoning and land use regulations. Ellsworth served as a board member of the community collation, Napa Vision 2050, which formed in 2015 to combat growth and prevent the degradation of our natural resources.
With every measure of preservation, there are counter acts threatening to undercut those missions, and ensure the fight between growth and preservation will persist well into 2019 and beyond.
