San Luis Obispo County CA Archives Photo Place.....Biddle House ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 27, 2006, 7:28 pm Source: Unavailable Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanluisobispo/photos/biddleho111gph.jpg Image file size: 99.1 Kb THE BIDDLE HOUSE Pismo Street, San Luis Obispo History and Description: Phillip Biddle first lived in Indiana with his family. With the death of his wife, a change in life style took place; he and his family came to Sacramento as "forty-niners". There was much money to be made in this area so Phillip and his son set up a business of processing and selling lime. John and his father moved down to San Luis Obispo County to their new ranches, one near Cholame and the other on the Arroyo Grande. John met Elizabeth Motz, who became his wife. They moved to a little white house on Pismo Street between Nipomo and Beach Streets in San Luis Obispo. This land and house was purchased from Mr. Motz. John Biddle died in 1891. History now brings us to the point where the Biddle house was built. The house was built for the family and Mrs. Biddle by a minister named Pauson in 1897. It was painted tan with dark trim by a man who also did portraits of the family and of the house. The old house, in back of the new one, was rented for a while and then moved to Pacific Street, where it still stands today. On a trip east, Mrs. Biddle married Charles Smith and came back to live in San Francisco for three years. The house was being rented and was soon moved back into by the Biddle family, less Mr. Smith, the new husband. The marriage didn't work out and they finally divorced each other. The Biddle house was always a lively place. Mrs. Biddle had a very large garden. The land upon which the house sat was between Buchon and Pismo Streets, mid-block down to Beach Street. Elizabeth Biddle died and the family began to go on their own. The Biddle House, on Pismo Street, hides from the normal passerby, maybe because of the three story height or maybe from the trees which stand before it. However, once seen, one can appreciate its Victorian stature. It is white, trimmed with green. The roof has a very steep pitch with gables around its third story. All windows on the house have stained glass framing them with the same pattern continued even on the hand-carved wood doors. There is much wood trim which has been ornamented and detailed as in many houses of those days. A porch runs around the house with picket railing on a stone wall. These stones were also used on the foundation of the house and can be seen from the outside. Even in the stone foundation are finally detailed iron vents. There are four fireplaces in the house which use two brick chimneys which cut through the roof. The three story house has six bedrooms. On the first floor the parlor iilled with Victorian furniture and original paintings with huge frames. Through the entrance hall and up the stairs is an unusual wood wainscot which is very finally detailed. Source: Mr. George Biddle Additional Comments: Extracted from Discovering San Luis Obispo County by Carleton M. Winslow File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanluisobispo/photos/biddleho111gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb