Anniversary of arson fire brings new updates on the mansion’s future
By Ken Magri
December 11 marks the one-year anniversary of the arson fire that gutted Bidwell Mansion State Historical Park, the beloved 19th century home of Chico’s founder, John Bidwell.
At around 2 a.m., 30-year-old Chico resident Kevin Alexander Carlson ignited a fire on the north porch, creating an explosion-type sound heard on security cameras. A window glass had been broken and gasoline was poured inside. Then Carlson walked away from the mansion and back to his car, returning to his apartment on Springfield Drive with the headlights turned off.
Flames overwhelmed the three-story building by the time the Chico Fire Department arrived. Considered unsafe to go inside, pumpers and ladder trucks could only attack the blaze from the mansion’s outer perimeter.
By the following morning, the fire was out and the news was everywhere. The mansion was burned down to a charred outer shell. Chico residents went through a myriad of emotional reactions. A bank account was opened to raise funds for a reconstruction while locals argued over social networks about John Bidwell’s legacy, Native Americans that were moved off their lands and if reconstruction was physically possible.
Within a month, the Chico Police Department had their suspect.
Officers went door-to-door in a series of 360-degree concentric circles around the mansion site. They asked residents to search their private security camera footage for the investigation. Chicoans were more than happy to aid the investigation.
“This investigation involved terabytes of surveillance videos and digital evidence,” said Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
What happened to Carlson after his arrest?
In March, Carlson pleaded guilty to the charges and received a sentence ordering him to pay tens of millions in fines and serve an 11-year sentence in state prison.
“There is a new law that would’ve added 15 years to a sentence, but the offense date of the Bidwell fire pre-dated the change in law so it wouldn’t matter,” said Carson’s lawyer Larry Pilgrim.
Many locals were outraged at what they felt was a light punishment. They said destroying a historical structure should have aggravated the circumstance and brought a longer sentence. With good behavior, Carlson could be released from prison after five and a half years, but the $37 million fine stays for life, even after a personal bankruptcy.
Inspecting what’s left of the mansion. Can it be rebuilt?
In July, a clean-up of fire debris began around the mansion’s shell. After that, structural engineers initiated their analysis of the mansion shell’s stability. Understanding that too much material was destroyed for restoration, the question changed to whether it could be structurally retrofitted for a future reconstruction.
What’s the difference?
Restoration involves repairs to existing structures, whereas reconstruction is a virtual replacement of what was once there. If the mansion’s shell is strong enough to withstand a retrofit, does the state have the funds and willpower to completely rebuild the mansion’s interior.
“It’s not just a local decision and it’s not just a State Parks decision,” said Matt Teague, district Supervisor for the Butte region of California State Parks. “I think a lot of people are forgetting that this is a state park, and there is environmental law that defines preservation, and that’s handled by the state Office of Historic Preservation.”
That mansion’s structural analysis report is scheduled to be made public before the end of this year.
“The report will provide direction for the next steps in completing necessary clean-up, stabilization, and/or debris removal efforts along with additional tasks to complete assessment of the remaining structure to help determine what historic preservation options are most feasible,” said Jim Newland, Planning Division Chief for California State Parks.
If reconstruction is still being considered, the good news is that many of the mansion’s textiles, which include curtains, quilts, linens, tablecloths and doilies, were in storage at the time of the fire. They had been sent to California State Parks for cleaning and safe storage while the mansion was undergoing outside repairs.
Teague says that 90% of the mansion’s interior furnishings were already replacements or replicas. Likewise, the carriage house, which was unharmed in the fire, is a replica.
But the little square architect’s office attached to the carriage house is original. So are the original family textiles now in storage. Could that be enough of a starting point for a reconstruction of the mansion itself?
Would it be possible to salvage the marble tabletop or wood-burning stove? Can metal objects like hinges, knobs, and other hardware of that period be saved from the wreckage or re-acquired? With so many photos of the mansion interior through the decades, CSU Chico history professor Michael Magliari, who wrote a biography of John Bidwell, thinks enough authentic replacement furniture could be found and purchased over time.
Internet subsite “Reimagine Bidwell Mansion” invites input
In the meantime, California State Parks recently launched a sub-site within its regular website, called “Reimagine Bidwell Mansion.” The public can find updates and “gather community input on desired future uses of the park,” said Newland.
The sub-site also offers Butte County residents an opportunity to lobby for reconstruction by sharing their personal memories and uploading photographs.
Another “planning section” page shows where the process is right now, and what’s coming next. Park officials plan a local community meeting this winter to hear input from the public and explain the results of the structural analysis.
Mechoopda tribal leaders and other key stakeholders have been involved in the planning process since the beginning.
“Community input along with the architectural/engineering assessments will be key to determining the future preservation treatment to be implemented for the building and site,” said Newland.
“State Parks understands the importance of the mansion to the people of Chico and the broader North State community, particularly as the one-year anniversary of the fire approaches,” Newland added. “We look forward to hearing their input as the Reimagine Bidwell Mansion process advances.”
The Reimagine Bidwell Mansion planning effort is expected to be completed in late 2026.
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