В историческом особняке Нили в Орегоне вышла книга, раскрывающая шесть культурных эпох дома

Neely Mansion has its own official history book Published 5:50 pm Thursday, September 3, 2026 For many State Route 18 drivers, it is just known as the beautiful Victorian house, or the white mansion you see before (or after) your drive over the Green River near Auburn. The tall home is not just any old building, it is the Neely Mansion, a 19th-century farmhouse that has been home to several families and six very different cultures. It is considered, not only an Auburn and Green River landmark, but is officially on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington State Register and a King County Landmark. The house and its surrounding property are a boon for local history and has been stewarded by the Neely Mansion Association since the 1980s, and from its initial dwelling of Sarah and Aaron Neely, Sr. in the 1890s to the Acosta family who were the house’s last tenants following World War II and into the late 1980s. With such a rich history, author and public historian Sarah J. Martin was tasked to update the mansion’s history and was commissioned to write “The Neely Mansion History: Six Diverse Cultures, One Unique Place.” On Aug. 29, a book signing for Martin’s newly printed book took place at the Neely Mansion, where guests were given a tour of the home and learned more about its history from the author herself. “We were collecting oral histories and we found that our publications don’t have the full story,” Martin said about the book’s origins. Based in Seattle, Martin has written several surveys, compliances, public histories and specialized studies throughout the Pacific Northwest, along with working on historical projects throughout King County, from the Highland Dairy Farm in Woodinville to a presentation on local history for the City of Covington. She has recently finished a project on the Kelley House in Snoqualmie. “I’m excited when a new community calls me up,” said Martin. Martin’s book not only captures the lives and histories of the different families that have lived in the house — The Neelys, the Gallis, the Fukudas, the Horis, and the Acostas — but also the home’s renovations, transformations and additions, including the traditional Japanese bathhouse (the Furoba) that was built by the Japanese-American Hori family in the 1930s. The book, along with the house itself, showcases the rich cultural backgrounds of the tenant families, including Japanese and Filipino household items, along with highlighting the work and contributions these immigrants families gave the Green River Valley community. “It’s public history and it’s at its best right here,” said Martin. The book, along with other local history readings can be purchased at the Neely Mansion, which offers free tours from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays throughout spring and summer. Special tours and school tours are available year round. For more information, visit neelymansion.org. The Neely Mansion is at 12303 SE Auburn-Black Diamond Road, in Auburn.