Rae House holds special place in Galt history

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

An 1868 Victorian house alone has historical interest.

But the Rae House is not only part of Galt history, it’s home to photographs and artifacts of the city’s past.

The white-and-pink-trimmed house, which was turned into a museum more than a decade ago, sits on the corner of Oak Avenue and Victorian Park Drive about three blocks west of Galt High School.

Long before it became a museum, though, it was the Rae family residence for more than a century.

The house was built by John Rae, one of Galt’s biggest ranchers and an ornamental plaster finisher. Some of his plaster work included ceilings at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

Rae’s daughter, Alice Rae, lived in the home until 1985, when she moved to Santa Cruz to live with her grand-nephew and his wife. She died in 1987.

A year after Alice Rae’s death, the property was sold to a developer who wanted to demolish the home and build a housing subdivision.

The Galt Area Historical Society, which now runs the museum, pushed Galt city officials to save the building. The property was acquired by the city, which deeded it to the historical society.

The house was later restored after vandals and nature caused the building’s condition to deteriorate.

In 1991, the Rae House Museum was made a state “Point of Historical Interest.”

The museum has photographs ranging from early Galt pioneer families to a collection of Galt’s bustling business hub at Fourth and C streets in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Among its treasures, a 200-year-old spinning wheel display shows how textiles were produced in a bygone era. An old wood stove in the kitchen and round ice box on the back porch demonstrate the cooking challenges before electric appliances.

The house is surrounded by a lush garden of roses. More than 100 varieties can be found in bloom during spring and summer.

Newly added to the museum is a children’s center, which will be open monthly on the second Saturday, museum curator Willie Garrett said.

The center, located in a separate building next to the museum, will have unique children’s activities while allowing parents to tour the main building.

The museum is located at 204 Oak St. in Galt. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, call the historical society at (209) 745-0951.