106 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {landmark} words by MARGARET KOENIG • photography by ROBB MOST mccormick house Nestled in the heart of seaside Pescadero, bordered by ancient trees and encircled by Pescadero Creek, the charming McCormick House has impressed since the town’s earliest days. James McCormick, an Irish immigrant who played a critical role in the community’s development, built it in the Classical Revival style in 1868 for his new wife, Julia Shaffre. It’s fitting that these days, it’s not only a bed-and-breakfast but also a wedding venue. For Lisa Tune, who runs the McCormick House Inn with husband Mauro, the home’s origin story is part of its magic. “James McCormick took great care to design a home for his beloved Julia that was architecturally exquisite in every detail, and the end result is a modest-sized house that feels truly grand,” Lisa says. Owning the historic house was long a dream of hers. It spent 40 years as a rental property after it left the McCormick family’s hands. “Then one day there was a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard, and we became the very proud owners,” Lisa recalls. She and Mauro moved in and began making renovations in 2004, striving to preserve the integrity of the original architecture. They replaced “unsightly” 1970s vinyl flooring with centuriesold fir. Mauro built floor-toceiling windows from salvaged redwood to match the originals and they removed “aesthetically unfortunate” details in the kitchen in favor of a simple farmhouse aesthetic. “When we were finished, we decided it was just too lovely to keep all to ourselves,” Lisa shares. “We quickly discovered that hosting tiny events means we can share the McCormick House with even more folks, which makes us exceedingly happy.” In the spring of 2018, the McCormick House hosted its first wedding. “I cannot describe adequately in words how extraordinary it was to see this beautiful old place filled with so much love and joy.” HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MCCORMICK HOUSE INN
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==