The Meux Home is a historic

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

located in

Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

. It was the residence of Thomas Richard Meux, a physician who served Fresno in the initial stages of the city's growth.

History

Meux family background

Thomas Richard Meux was born on August 6, 1838, near Stanton, Tennessee. He received a degree from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

then continued his education the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, studying medicine. After graduating in 1860, he moved back to Tennessee and started a medical practice. Along with his brother, John, Thomas Meux enlisted in the 9th Tennessee Infantry Regiment on May 24, 1861, just as the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

was breaking out. His brother died a year later from wounds sustained in the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

. Thomas Meux applied his medical skills while on the battlefield, unofficially at first, then was officially commissioned as an assistant surgeon. He continued to serve as an assistant surgeon until he was discharged by surrender in North Carolina on in May 1865. Remaining in Tennessee after the war, Meux married Mary Esther Davis in 1874. They started a family but decided to move the Central Valley of California. The Meux family arrived at the Southern Pacific Hotel in Fresno in December 1887 and went to work building a permanent home.

Home in Fresno

After arriving in Fresno, Meux established his medical practice and sought to build a home for his family. He chose the corner of Tulare and R streets as the homesite and enlisted a builder. At the time of construction, the area was very sparsely populated. The only other houses in the area were those of William Wyatt at R and Mariposa Streets and O. J. Woodward at Q and Mariposa Streets. O. J. Woodward later donated the land for Woodward Park. Meux and his family moved into the newly built house in January 1889. He served as a physician for the rapidly growing Fresno area. In recognition of his medical contributions, the Fresno County Medical Society made him president. He was also a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

and involved with the Fresno County Democratic Club. Thomas Meux died in 1929 and was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery. The Meux family home was not sold or altered after the death of Thomas Meux. The family continued to live in it, which allowed it to remain in mostly the same condition as when it was built, with the same architectural flourishes. One Meux daughter married local politician Henry E. Barbour in a ceremony which took place in the home's parlor in 1907. His son, John Meux, was a Fresno area rancher. The other Meux daughter, Anne, lived in the home until her death in 1970.

Conversion to museum and legacy

The city of Fresno purchased the mansion from the nephew of Anne Meux in 1973 for $55,000. It began a restoration process estimated to cost an additional $50,000. Following the completed restoration, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and opened to visitors as a museum the same year. The building is also listed on the city of Fresno register of historic places as well as the Fresno county list of historic places. The museum showcases local history as well as the Victorian style dating back to the 1890s. In 2004, a small scale replica of the Meux Home was built in a new city park called "Trolley Creek" in southeast Fresno. In 2021, there was a discussion about changing the name of the museum due to Thomas Meux's connection to the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

. No name change was agreed upon. It is one the oldest homes in Fresno and is significant for its elaborate style and for remaining mostly unchanged from its time of construction.

Design

The Meux Home sits at the intersection of Tulare and R streets on the east end of downtown Fresno. It consists of two stories, a basement and attic rooms. It is asymmetrical in style and reflects the eclectic architectural tastes of its era.

Interior

The interior is

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

in style. Decorations cover every wall and ceiling using a papered finish, as well as carved woodwork and stained glass windows. The stair

balusters A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its c ...

are heavy, turned-wood and the six fireplaces have intricate patterns of tile around them. The house was constructed before electricity was available, so all lighting fixtures were constructed to be gas-fed. Even after electricity became available, several light fixtures retained their gas fittings, in case of an outage. The kitchen has been updated with an electric refrigerator and a gas-fueled range, but a wood burning range remains there, as well as a wooden icebox.

Exterior

The exterior is most recognized by the conical turret in one corner. The home is sheltered by trees and shrubs with a porch that extends around three elevations of the house. The porch has carved details at the railing and stairs. A

French Renaissance The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define ...

influence is seen in the chimney details, while the finials at the intersection of roof hips invoke

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

. A few different types of siding cover the exterior as well as other contrasting textures, including staggered shingles, patterned shingles and beveled shiplap siding.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in Fresno, California Buildings and structures completed in 1889 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Fresno County, California