The fabulous Spring Mansion

Spring Mansion (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2005)

Modeled after Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s Achillion Palace in Corfu, the terraced John Hopkins Spring Estate occupies 3.25 acres crowned by a two-story mansion designed by John Hudson Thomas. The exterior is primarily Beaux Arts–influenced, while the interiors display the architect’s eclectic influences, including Vienna Secessionist, Arts & Crafts, and Egyptian motifs.

Built in 1912 and completed in 1914, the estate was owned by the Spring family for just a few years. In 1918, it was sold to the Cora L. Williams Institute (later Williams College), a tony school that occupied the premises for five decades. Since 1975, the mansion has been a private residence again, and few people had the opportunity to see it. The property recently sold, and we went in to snap a few pictures. You can see them in an article about the estate on the Berkeley Landmarks website.