Dear Camron-Stanford Community,

The House suffered a fire Saturday, April 4th at 12:40am.
Thanks to the immediate response from the Oakland Fire Department, less than 10 percent of the building was damaged. The house is structurally sound and the historical rooms and artifacts are in tact. The fire started outside of the building and its cause is under investigation. The cost to repair is currently unknown but will be substantial. We are asking the community for donations to assist with restoration and reopening. See link to donate below.

The fire comes just one month after announcing our plans to reopen the house and its museum. We are deeply saddened to share that the museum and events space will be closed until further notice. We are grateful for the outpour of support we have received from our community. We are especially thankful for our partners at the City of Oakland who have been supporting our reopening and were among the first on scene to help us navigate next steps.

We will continue to shared updates here and on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

In community,

The Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association

Help Re-open the Camron-Stanford House!

The house has been closed to the public since August 2024 and is at risk of permanent closure. We need your support to reopen.

Built in 1876 by Samuel Merritt, the Camron-Stanford house is the last Victorian estate on Lake Merritt. The house became Oakland’s first museum in 1907 and has been a museum for most of its 150-year history. It is a historic Oakland landmark and a treasure to our community. 

For 50 years, the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association has cared for the house and kept it open to the public. In August 2024, the Association received notice to discontinue operations after its 20-year lease ended. Public access stopped, museum staff were laid off, and the House's financial reserves were depleted.

Now, the Association is partnering with the City of Oakland to REOPEN THE CAMRON-STANFORD HOUSE!

We need the community’s help to make this reopening possible. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us reopen this historic Oakland landmark. Your donation will help us turn the lights back on and rehire essential museum staff.

Thank you for your support of the historic house! We look forward to welcoming you back!

With gratitude,

The Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association

The Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN #94-2210551). Contributions are tax-deductible.

Other Ways to Support the Camron-Stanford House

• Volunteer as a Museum Docent. We offer a docent training course and are recruiting new docents! Sign up here.

• Become a Board Member of the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association.

• Subscribe to email updates for the latest on our reopening. Sign-up here.

• Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/camronstanford
  
  Email us at admin@cshouse.org to learn more!

The Camron-Stanford turns 150 years old in 2026! Shown here in 1876, the year it was built.