Historic homes to reopen with free tours for public

HAYWARD >> Two historic East Bay homes that have been shuttered for a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic are reopening for tours.

Meek Mansion will open on the first Saturday of each month, starting today.

The McConaghy House will open on the second Saturday of each month starting July 10. Hours for both homes will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Visitors will find some changes: Crews from the Hayward Area Park and Recreation Department have repainted rooms on the first floor of the Meek Mansion and its exterior, and staffers with Hayward Area Historical Society — which helps oversee the Victorian with the park department — have installed period-appropriate furniture to show how it once might have been furnished.

Currently, only the first floor of the three floors at the Meek house will be open to the public. At McConaghy House, visitors will be able to explore both the first and second floors.

Both places will feature new informational panels, highlighting details about rooms, as well as self-guided tours, according to Marcess Owings, the historical society’s advancement manager. Docents also will be on hand to field questions.

“As we reopen the economy, it’s exciting to have our recreational and cultural opportunities opening up as well,” Hayward Councilwoman Sara Lamnin said in an email. “This past year, we’ve been more aware of our history than ever, and I appreciate the hard work of the historical society to ensure there are meaningful moments to walk in Hayward’s history.”

William Meek, a California pioneer who once served as an Alameda County supervisor known for planting cherry, apricot, plum and almond orchards and who built his mansion, died in 1880.

Neal McConaghy, a farmer, built his Victorian in 1888, according to the historical society. The park department acquired the house in 1973 and opened it as a museum three years later.

Tours of the homes are free. There is a suggested $5 donation for entry to help pay for ongoing maintenance. Health and safety guidelines from the state and Alameda County will be enforced.

Meek Mansion is located in Meek Estate Park at 17365 Boston Road in Cherryland, an unincorporated area north of Hayward. McConaghy House is located next to Kennedy Park at 18701 Hesperian Blvd. in Hayward.

More information is available at haywardareahistory.org or 510-5810223.

PHOTOS BY JANE TYSKA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The historic Meek Mansion is seen through a fence at Meek Estate Park in unincorporated Cherryland, just north of Hayward, on Tuesday. The Meek Mansion, built in 1869, and the historic McConaghy House, built in 1888, will reopen to the public today.

Hayward Area Historical Society Outreach and Education Manager Caroline Sandoval, left, and Advancement Manager Marcess Owings arrange a display at the Meek Mansion in Cherryland.