Mountain View California
Rengstorff House
A suffering young woman inadvertently scared tenants out of her residence.
DESCRIPTION
As Henry Rengstorff, the owner of this mansion, had a large family of nine people, including seven children, this mansion has 16 rooms, a total volume of 3,955 square feet.
The first floor has four large front parlors, each with a marble fireplace.
The large dining room also has a large fireplace with a wooden mantel.
All downstairs rooms are decorated with Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper, cove molding, picture rails, push button light switches, & chain rails.
Because of its size and beauty, the Rengstorff’s house regularly hosts community weddings, parties, gatherings and events.
This mansion, originally built with wood from virgin redwood and Douglas fir trees, is one of the finest examples of Victorian Italianate architecture in Mountain View.
The facade of the house is symmetrical. Pillars surround the central entrance, helping to hold up and frame the second floor.
The front of the mansion has bay windows on both floors, with balustrades. (The family had a great view of the bay, when it was built at its original location).
A widow’s walk was built on the roof as well. A large and beautiful garden surrounds the mansion.
HISTORY
Rengstorff House was constructed in 1864-1867 by a wealthy German immigrant, Henry Rengstorff, as a family home. It originally sat on 164 acres of prime land, with a great view of the bay, east of today’s Shoreline Business Park. On this Bay, Rengstorff had his ship landing and warehouse business, which helped develop the economy of Mountain View. His flat bottom scows carried passengers and area farmers’ lumber, fruits and grains to markets in nearby big cities, such as Sacramento and San Francisco. The returning ships brought hardware and supplies for this growing community. It was a win-win situation. Everyone prospered.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
Members of the Rengstorff family lived here until 1959, when a grandson, Perry Askam, sold the mansion to a land development company. Over the next 20 years, it was lived in by a flurry of people, but no one stayed for long, due to spooky manifestations that scared the living. As a result this once-gorgeous mansion fell into a dilapidated state, and then into ruins. Finally, the city of Mountain View purchased the mansion in 1979 for $1.00 and moved it to its present location, where it was expertly restored, and once again serves the community, as a historic home and a place to have events of all sorts.
MANIFESTATIONS
The disturbances that discouraged people from staying very long, happened on the second floor, probably at night.
The apparition of a young lady
Often seen looking out one of the windows in an upstairs bedroom, waiting for someone to come.
Her presence could be felt by others.
A sense of sorrow could be felt by psychic-prone people.
Evidence of a Broken Heart
Her anguished cries could be heard at various times.
Who was this unhappy presence?
No one is saying, but it sounds like someone’s unhappy teenager or young person, suffering from a broken relationship, or some other emotional disaster.
Someone who was devastated, and would’ve benefited from psychological help… Someone who couldn’t let go of her loss completely, enough to go to the other side.
General Activity
The living were treated to unexplained thumps, bangs, strange noises and cold spots, which would naturally wake people up to the fact that they were not alone.
STILL HAUNTED?
Perhaps…
It is unknown whether this unhappy presence is still around. When the city moved the mansion, this unhappy spirit could’ve stayed behind on the original land, or moved on to the next world. Presently no manifestations are reported, or admitted to. The public uses the first floor and gardens, while the second floor hosts offices. No one is on the second floor at night. So, who would know if she still haunts the second floor?
LOCATION
3070 North Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, California 94043
(650) 903-6073
Originally located at 1737 Stierlin Road, this mansion was moved to Shoreline Park where it was restored, and opened as a museum. Tours are given on Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 11:00 – 5:00 P.M. When it is not open as a museum, the first floor and garden are rented out for various occasions for people in the community, which would’ve greatly pleased the original owners. (Upstairs rooms are used by the Shoreline staff).
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
