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Architecture: Queen Ann Farm House - 2,700 sq. ft., 1 bedroom, 2-bath home with a large basement. The present owners dug out the original basement and put in supports for the infrastructure of the home.
Previous Owners: It is thought that the parent’s of Colleen Hauser were the 1st owners at the Fair Oaks address. The house sat in a cherry orchard. Donald Piccolo Sr. turned it into 2 separate units as the next owner. He rented it out to a preacher and the preacher turned the upstairs into a home for unwed mothers. Don Piccolo Jr. lived in it while going to college and rented part of it to college students. At that time it was known as the “Hippie” house. Later, he lived in it with his family. In l993, Piccolo Jr. sold it the present owners.
Present Owners: In the 1993 F.O. History Society calendar, the house was featured for the month of May. That was the same year Don and Jeanette Ansted, the present owner’s, purchased the house. They have had a number of visits by Colleen Hauser, who lived in the house as a child. On one of these visits, she brought an old rocking chair and put it on the porch, asking Don and Jeanette if they would like to have it. Colleen reported that her mother used to rock in this chair. Don and Jeanette agreed to keep the chair and then Colleen said, “Mother, you're finally home.” At that, the chair was reported to have started rocking on its own! Colleen told Don and Jeanette, as a child she had a fruit stand in front of the house on Fair Oaks Blvd.
The present owners have gutted and rebuilt much of the house trying to return the house to its original condition in keeping with the architecture. Don's career was in construction as a carpenter. Don said that his uncle actually rented a room in the house in the 30’s. Future plans are to remove the present kitchen, which has no foundation, and replace it with a larger kitchen and 2 bedrooms above the kitchen area. The old garage was torn down and Don and Jeanette built a small structure that will someday possibly become a rental. Currently it houses Jeanette's internet quilting and pattern business. As in her store, she has a large collection of ladies' old hats bordering the ceiling. Don and Jeanette said they would welcome any additional information or photos if anyone out there knows more! Thank you both for allowing us into you lovely home.
Correction to January newsletter's article on the Ansted house.
One of the nice things about running articles on some of the old Fair Oaks homes is that we often get additions and corrections regarding the history of the houses. Steve Abbott wrote to us after the January newsletter that the original owner of the Anstead home was S. I. Blanchard, not the Hausers. And, he points out that there was no railroad to Fair Oaks when the house was built, so the "stories" of it being transported by train from Folsom are probably not true. Thanks for the info Steve.