As you enter the Bartholomew Park, you will be surrounded by vineyards, gardens and in the distance a replica of the majestic Villa built by Agoston Haraszthy in 1861-2 for his family overlooking the property. The Count opened the Villa with a grand and elegant masked ball. The Count’s original Villa was destroyed, and in 1987, at the end of her life, Antonia Bartholomew, rebuilt the Villa to preserve physically the fascinating early era and way of life. The museum in the Villa is open on weekends from noon to 3 pm.
In 1920-1, the State of California acquired the property planning to use it as an industrial farm for women and housing them as residents in “The Castle”. Shortly thereafter the Castle burned and the State built a Spanish style building across the creek for the residents. The structure today is leased by the Foundation to the Vineburg Company (an affiliate of Gundlach-Bundschu, and not related to the Foundation other than as tenant), which operates the Bartholomew Park Winery in the building.
The State project, however, was short-lived and was abandoned by the late 1930’s.
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Sacramento Union, 17 November 1920
Ask for Funds.— The Board of Trustees of the Home for Delinquent Women has asked the State Budget Board for $525,600 to conduct the institution during the next two years. A site was recently purchased by the board for the prison farm near Sonoma City, in Sonoma county. The sum of $150,000 was appropriated at the last session of the Legislature to purchase a site and establish a farm.