You’d never guess it, but the quiet Menlo Park neighborhood known as Sharon Heights hides a scandalous past. The land once belonged to William Sharon, mining tycoon, owner of two luxury hotels and one of the United States’ worst senators (he bought a newspaper to sing his own praises during elections, then neglected his office, missing more than 99 percent of roll call votes). After developing a taste for coke (not the kind you drink) and indulging in a number of dalliances, karma seems to have caught up with this less-than-upright pillar of society. A pretty socialite claimed that Wil98 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MENLO PARK HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION / JOHANNA HARLOW / CITY OF MENLO PARK PLANNING DIVISION liam had secretly married her, then sued him for adultery. The trial proceedings included forged documents, a practicing occultist as a witness and pistols drawn in the courtroom. In the end, the socialite married her attorney and was later declared insane. How’s that for some soap opera-level drama? Apparently, what William lacked in scruples, he made up for in cash. Acquiring a countryside estate among his fellow elite, William made plans to build a mansion and guest cottage on the Peninsula. Though the main house was never built, William and his wife entertained plenty of guests at their 32room “cottage” furnished with rich tapestries and art treasures from Europe. A small army of 32 gardeners tended the grounds, while eight servants looked after the household. Long, luxurious dinners featured at least eight courses. Those who later bought the property incorrectly (but understandably) assumed that the vast guesthouse was actually the Sharon mansion. Developed into a residential oasis by Duncan McDonald and Mark Radin in the 1960s, the planned community now holds an idyllic park and many a mid-century ranchstyle home. Scandal in Sharon Heights
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