Someone's Dream
The Ripsen House
Mister Ripsen moved in 1900 to Capitola, a small town on the Central California coast about seventy miles south of San Francisco. He brought with him millions of dollars made by him in Canadian oil. His fortune increased when he bought the town area to subdivide it and resell the individual lots. In 1910 he started to build his dream house.
With the extension to the rear there is an estimated 30 rooms spread over three stories. The lower opening to the right is a service entrance. The tunnel provided a way to go to the rear providing delivery to a lower level pantry and kitchen. Also on this level there was a secret room under the front entrance way on the second level to get around the Volsted Act which the world knows as "Prohibition." When you swung a pivoting wall it open up a room equipped with wine racks and storage space for harder liquors. There is also a "safe room" on the first floor behind a sliding wall panel. Behind this is a steel panel that was slid behind the panel for protection from some of his bootlegging friends.
Additional rooms include a two-story main entertaining room with a walk-in fireplace, several bedrooms on the second and third levels, and a dining room-pantry-kitchen complex on the lower level. This house was made for partying!
Ripsen's fortune went the way of a lot of money - 1929 depression. He lost everything and moved out of the area. several attempts were made to something with the property, but nothing lasted until now. the property has been declared an historical site and cannot be torn down! The town is now in the process of bringing the plumbing and wiring up to building codes, redecorating the interior, and opening up as a rather classy Bed and Breakfast