History Park in San Jose in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Gordon House

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado

1. The Gordon House Marker

Inscription.

The Gordon House. . Hanford Lennox Gordon was born in 1846 and over his lifetime held a variety of positions as attorney, and officer for the Union Army during the Civil War, a farmer, and a rancher., Hanford and his wife, Mary, moved to San José from Minnesota in 1887. Upon arrival, the Gordons moved into this house, originally located at 5303 McKee Road. Hanford owned four ranches, including over 100 acres of olive groves on McKee Road - also known as Pala del Rancho., Shortly after the move West, the Gordons divorced. Hanford remained embroiled in legal issues including a paternity suit involving a home domestic and at least one dispute which resulted in gunfire. In the late 1890s, Hanford moved to Los Angeles and eventually re-married and later died in 1920. Mary Gordon remained in the home until her death in 1929., The house was built in the 1870s. Thanks to the Rotary Club of San Jose, the house moved to History Park in the late 1980s and was restored. Care was taken to restore the veranda in the same manner as the original brick. The windows are also original to the house. This building was dedicated June 6, 1990., From installing the first street lights in 1915 to building the Rotary PlayGarden in 2015, the Rotary Club of San Jose has been at the forefront of efforts to build the infrastructure and social fabric of our community., San Jose Rotarians have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service and have given more than $10 million in direct grants to over 100 local community organizations., As part of a global organization with over 1.2 million members, the Rotary Club of San Jose has several international service committees providing wheelchairs to the disabled, life changing Rotaplast surgeries, youth exchange programs, and support for Rotary International's efforts to eradicate polio., San Jose Rotary is the ultimate network. Our members include local business, professional and civic leaders. It is our shared values of service that result in San Jose Rotary getting so much done in this community - and beyond., In San Jose we have built or made major contributions to: , . 1915 - San Jose's First Street Signs , . 1922 - Downtown Drinking Fountains , . 1925 - Ryland Pool
. 1929 - Rose Garden Reflecting Pool , . 1936 - Alum Rock Park , . 1940 - USO Building , . 1958 - Happy Hollow Park and Zoo , . 1986 - Children's Discovery Museum , . 1968 - Peralta Adobe Restoration , . 1975 - O'Brien's Candy Store Replica , . 1990 - Gordon House Restoration , . 1992 - Morrone Gardens Senior Center , . 1996 - The Tech Museum , . 2003 - Rotary Summit Center , . 2015 - Rotary PlayGarden , . 2016 - Christmas in the Park/Rotary Light Tower

Hanford Lennox Gordon was born in 1846 and over his lifetime held a variety of positions as attorney, and officer for the Union Army during the Civil War, a farmer, and a rancher.

Hanford and his wife, Mary, moved to San José from Minnesota in 1887. Upon arrival, the Gordons moved into this house, originally located at 5303 McKee Road. Hanford owned four ranches, including over 100 acres of olive groves on McKee Road - also known as Pala del Rancho.

Shortly after the move West, the Gordons divorced. Hanford remained embroiled in legal issues including a paternity suit involving a home domestic and at least one dispute which resulted in gunfire. In the late 1890s, Hanford moved to Los Angeles and eventually re-married and later died in 1920. Mary Gordon remained in the home until her death in 1929.

The house was built in the 1870s. Thanks to the Rotary Club of San Jose, the house moved to History Park in the late 1980s and was restored. Care was taken to restore the veranda in the same manner as the original brick. The windows are also original to the house. This building was dedicated June 6, 1990.

From installing the first street lights in 1915 to building the Rotary PlayGarden in 2015, the Rotary Club of San Jose has been at the forefront of efforts to build the infrastructure and social fabric

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of our community.

San Jose Rotarians have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service and have given more than $10 million in direct grants to over 100 local community organizations.

As part of a global organization with over 1.2 million members, the Rotary Club of San Jose has several international service committees providing wheelchairs to the disabled, life changing Rotaplast surgeries, youth exchange programs, and support for Rotary International's efforts to eradicate polio.

San Jose Rotary is the ultimate network. Our members include local business, professional and civic leaders. It is our shared values of service that result in San Jose Rotary getting so much done in this community - and beyond.

In San Jose we have built or made major contributions to:
• 1915 - San Jose's First Street Signs
• 1922 - Downtown Drinking Fountains
• 1925 - Ryland Pool
• 1929 - Rose Garden Reflecting Pool
• 1936 - Alum Rock Park
• 1940 - USO Building
• 1958 - Happy Hollow Park and Zoo
• 1986 - Children's Discovery Museum
• 1968 - Peralta Adobe Restoration
• 1975 - O'Brien's Candy Store Replica
• 1990 - Gordon House Restoration
• 1992 - Morrone Gardens Senior Center
• 1996 - The Tech Museum
• 2003 - Rotary Summit Center
• 2015 - Rotary PlayGarden
• 2016 - Christmas

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023

2. The Gordon House Marker

in the Park/Rotary Light Tower

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 37° 19.264′ N, 121° 51.532′ W. Marker is in San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in History Park. It can be reached from Phelan Avenue east of Senter Road, on the left when traveling east. The resin marker is mounted to wood posts in front of the house. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose CA 95112, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area,

in Silicon Valley,

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Gordon House (here, next to this marker); Coyote Post Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Stevens Ranch Fruit Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); The Chiechi House (within shouting distance of this marker); Sakauye Migrant Farm Worker Housing (within shouting distance of this marker); Empire Firehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Andrew P. Hill House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Zanker House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Jose.

More about this marker. Inset Images:
From left:
1)

The Gordon House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023

3. The Gordon House

Hanford Gordon portrait 9detail), 1870. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of San Jose.
2) Gordon House under restoration, 1989. History San Jose Collection.
3) Rose Garden Reflecting Pool, c. 1930. History San Jose Collection.
4) Gordon House, c. 1900. History San Jose Collection.
5) Rotary Playgarden, 2016. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of San Jose.
For more information about the Gordon House, please visit our website: www.historysanjose.org.
This sign made possible by a generous grant from the Rotary Club of San Jose.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Gordon House

History Park Map image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023

4. History Park Map

El Camino Real bell in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 446 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 4. submitted on June 26, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.