Today I once again was able to discover a gem in our area. I had heard about the Helena Modjeska Historic House before, but I had not visited it. When I noticed an interesting program being run there, I immediately signed up. In the first hour we got a short tour of the house, and in the second hour we created lavender wands from fresh lavender we picked in the garden. I really enjoyed both. I was able to take a few pictures of the place, which I’d like to share with you.
Very briefly about the history: Helena Modjeska, a Polish actress, moved to America with her husband in 1876 in search of a new life. After a very short time of trying to farm, she started learning English, and soon she was able to perform in the States as an actress. She became a beloved performer all over the country, and after a decade on the road, she and her husband bought a cottage in an Orange County canyon. With the help of architect Stanford White, they built a wonderful house with a beautiful garden. This is what I visited today.
I don’t want to give away a lot from the tour, you should visit the place if you can. It’s truly picturesque and the stories about Modjeska are very interesting. She was a very talented actress, musician, author, etc. Some parts of the house shown on the pictures were later additions. (Iphone and Lensbaby Burnside 35 images.)
