Historic McClatchy Estate in midtown Sacramento sold for $2.2 million. Take a look inside
The grand McClatchy estate in midtown Sacramento, built in the 1930s, has sold for $2.2 million, according to listing agent Annette Black of Lyon Real Estate.
Tucked behind a tall white stucco wall on nearly a half-acre, the property became available in July 2021 for the first time ever. The asking price was $2.499 million.
Darius Anderson, a Sonoma-based developer, lobbyist and Platinum Advisors founder, bought the home, Black said. Anderson is also managing partner of Sonoma Media Investments, which owns the Press Democrat newspaper.
Anderson and real estate agent Ted Russert of RE/MAX Gold, who represented the buyer, were not immediately available for comment.
The stunning Spanish-style family compound was owned by the McClatchy family, owners of The Bee newspaper chain. It’s filled with California art and architecture. Colorful, custom-made and hand-painted tile — many signed by the artists themselves — adorn nearly every room. Exquisite and detailed wood carvings on the doors and ceilings are stunning.
The dining room features a mural around the entire ceiling that was painted by Sacramento artist Dunbar Dyson Beck. Each vignette depicts a part of state history. Other tiles throughout the house also pay homage to historical events.
The main house has three bedrooms and three-plus baths and a library with a magnificent marble fireplace. There’s a one-bedroom, one-bath studio, as well as a guest house with a bedroom, bath, kitchen and two-car garage.
Across .42 acres, brick walkways meander through manicured grounds and a large pool sits in the center of an expansive patio.
Perhaps no other family has a greater historical imprint on the Poverty Ridge neighborhood than the McClatchys. The estate, located at 2124 U St., is the last of a group of houses in the same block that was owned by the family. The home sits next to the city-owned Ella K. McClatchy Library. Sacramento Bee Publisher and Editor Charles Kenny McClatchy and his wife, Ella, built that residence, at 2112 22nd Street, in 1910. It became a public library in 1940 after daughter Eleanor McClatchy donated it to the city.
The property is in need of some restoration. Black said every potential buyer who looked at the residence was interested in restoring the home to its original grandeur as opposed to tearing it down and building anew.
“It was such a unique property that we immediately had lots and lots and lots of showings,” she said. “And we had two people who were very interested at the beginning and both of them wrote offers, both of them were taking in the consideration of the work needed,” she said.
“It went for a fair price considering it did need a lot of work, and a lot of updating,” Black said. “But every buyer, and we had a total of three offers, every person, their intent was to restore it. Nobody wanted to tear it down or anything like that. They all wanted to put it back to its grandeur.”
She said Anderson wants to live in the home.
“It will be his Sacramento home,” she said. “And he is going to restore it to its original beauty and use it for some fundraisers and some types of events.”
“My favorite features are the grounds,” Black told The Sacramento Bee in July when the house first hit the market. “It’s .42 of an acre and (there are) beautiful walkways, pool, a front garden, the back garden and fountains throughout the property. I also love the structures, the Spanish architecture of the house, the beautiful wood doors throughout, lavish use of wrought iron on the property. All the custom light fixtures, the custom tiles.”
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 9:24 AM.
