Windsor in Sonoma County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Cunningham Homestead - Hembree House
Photographed by Alvis Hendley
1. Cunningham Homestead - Hembree House Marker
The original homestead cabin, built by Robert Cunningham, was an 18 by 26 foot, two room dwelling constructed of hand hewn timbers with mortise and tenon joints and redwood logs as floor joists. There was no kitchen or bathroom; cooking was done in the brick fireplace. The cabin was enlarged when his wife Isabella and daughter Mary Jane joined him in 1851. Widowed at age 17 Mary Jane later married James H. McClelland and had two daughters. Upon Mary Jane's death, the homestead was divided between their daughters Clara and Ella. Clara and her husband, Atlas Hembree built their retirement home in front of the original cabin in 1931 and occupied their home until Clara's death in 1957.
Erected 2021 by Sam Brannan Chapter #1004 E Clampus Vitus, The Town of Windsor, Windsor Museum and Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1847.
Location. 38° 33.156′ N, 122° 48.627′ W. Marker is in Windsor, California, in Sonoma County.
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Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, in Wine Country, in the North Coast, and specifically 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 Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Nature and Agriculture (approx. 0.4 miles away); West Windsor: The New Gathering Place (approx. 0.4 miles away); East Windsor: The First Gathering Place (approx. 0.4 miles away); Windsor's Historically Important Families (approx. 0.4 miles away); Early Windsor's People: The Southern Pomo (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historical Events from the 20th Century (approx. 0.4 miles away); Present Day Windsor
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
2. Cunningham Homestead - Hembree House Marker
Regarding Cunningham Homestead - Hembree House. The Cunningham-Hembree Estate was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 2018.
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
3. Cunningham House
Photographed by Alvis Hendley
4. Cunningham House Archival Photograph
Detail from an interpretive placard.
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
5. Hembree House
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
6. Hembree House
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
7. Hembree House Marker
In 1929, in anticipation of their retirement to Windsor, Atlas and Clara Hembree began construction on a 2,850-square foot, five-bedroom Spanish style villa located in front of the old Cunningham House at the end of the cypress lane. Spanish Colonial Revival architecture was popular between 1915 and 1940 following the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and the Panama California Exposition in San Diego. The Expositions may have influenced their architectural choice as well as their sojourn to southern California where Spanish Colonial Revival and its predecessor Mission Revival were popular.
They named their retirement residence "Matapan" from an unspecified Native American language which is said to mean "I sit down."
They named their retirement residence "Matapan" from an unspecified Native American language which is said to mean "I sit down."
Photographed by Alvis Hendley, June 10, 2026
8. Cunningham Family Homestead Interpretive Placard
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2026, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. This page has been viewed 31 times since then. Last updated on June 20, 2026, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 19, 2026, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. 7, 8. submitted on June 20, 2026, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
