The Campbell Reporter
Cover Story
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Campbell History: The stately palms in the front of the 1895 Victorian are as old as the home. Benjamin Campbell gave the land to his son, James Henry Campbell, in 1884, which was part of Campbell's 160-acre ranch.
Russos' Renaissance
Only two owners have lived in 111-year-old home
By Koren Temple
Two lofty palm trees encircled with red brick stand behind a wrought-iron fence. Their majestic appearance befits the Campbell House, a stately 19th-century mansion on Second Street.
"If you look closely, there's a dent in those trees," says owner Joseph Russo, pointing to the bend in the middle of the large trees.
That bend, Russo explains, was because the 110-year-old trees were malnourished until his parents, Joseph Sr. and Connie Russo, purchased the home in the 1950s and began watering them.
Russo's vision follows the rings spiraling down and sighs, "It's been all those years."
The Russos are only the second family to own the home. The Campbell House was built in 1895, on land given by its namesake, city founder Benjamin Campbell to his son, James Henry Campbell and his wife Jessie in 1884.
The 4,000-square-foot home is a maze of six bedrooms, three bathrooms, basement, laundry room, butler's pantry, grand piano room and a front living room. An exotic garden of wisteria, roses, an oak tree and pink ladies extends from the back yard to the front of the horseshoe-shaped driveway.
Its forest green trim, airy front porch and bay windows make the home near the downtown area recognizable to Campbell residents and Orchard City history buffs.
"My parents loved this house," Russo says. "They would sit on the front porch and watch traffic."
It's the main reason Russo has decided to keep the $1.8 million home even though he lives in the Monterey Peninsula area. Russo, along with members of the Historic Preservation Board, are considering turning the two-story home into business suites to keep it well preserved.
"If I change the use to professional, it would offset having any people live here," Russo says. "This is my parents' home and I want to keep it that way."
With only two owners, the home is considered a treasure chest of Campbell history and is listed on the Campbell's Historic Inventory list. For Russo, the home represents three generations of family history.
Before the 20,000-square-foot lot housed the Victorian home, it was a portion of Benjamin Campbell's 160-acre spread that he purchased from the United States government in 1870.
It was bound to the south by Missouri Ann Kennedy's land, to the west by the Fleming Brothers' dry yard on the west, to the north by Benjamin Campbell's property and to the east by R.D. McElroy land. Today the home is south of Campbell Avenue near the intersection of Orchard City Drive.
James Henry used the land as a dairy farm for many years until he subdivided, and decided to build a home once he married his second wife, Jessie Agnes McKenzie, in 1895.
"The home was designed by George Whitney," says Jeannette Watson, the city's local historian and current mayor.
The house was constructed of fine redwood lumber for the "mud" sills, and it had concrete floor and walls. Rosette door knobs and doorframes were used throughout the home.
"The doors and frames were faux-painted in an oak pattern. They aren't real wood," Russo says. "They would bring in a painter to make it look like oak if they didn't have a lot of money."
In 1905, James Henry added a "milk room" to the basement under the north part of the house where it was cool. The milk room was necessary because there was no refrigeration at the time.
According to Watson's book, Campbell the Orchard City, Jessie Agnes used large pans for the milk, which were placed on a rotating rack. Later the cream was skimmed off the top and made into butter which, in addition to the milk and cream, was sold to the townspeople.
In 1915, the front porch on the west end of the home and a utility room were constructed, giving the house a final touch.
"At that period of time, the porch was the center of family activities," Watson says.
A water tower existed in the back yard where the garage sits today.
Russo says his family knew the city's founders built the home.
"At the time, there wasn't much brouhaha about it," he says. "Campbell was relatively young so people weren't that excited about it."
Saving a gem
"My dad was an entrepreneur," Russo says. "My dad saw the potential of the home and saw himself living there."
Despite the $112,000 price tag, which was relatively high at the time, and the dilapidated condition of the house, Joseph Sr. saw something 17-year Joseph Jr. didn't.
"When they bought the home in the 1950s from James Henry's second wife, the weeds were higher than me," he says.
But that was very much like Joseph Sr., a 6-foot tall, Old World-Italian, says Russo.
"He was a very hard worker and had a good sense about real estate," he says.
Joseph Sr. was born in Pittsfield, Mass., and met Consetta, a native of Rome, N.Y., when her family moved to Pittsfield.
"She was called little Connie because she was 4 foot, 10 inches and weighed between 92 to 104 pounds," Russo says. "She was all energy--lots and lots of it."
In June 1939, Connie and Joseph Sr. were married.
"They had a twinkle in the eye and a song in their heart," Russo says.
The following year, Joseph Jr. was born, followed by brothers Robert and Jeff. Robert Russo now lives in Visalia. Jeff Russo died in a car crash in 1978.
During their marriage, Connie Russo continued to work as a seamstress and an inspector in the woolen mills in Pittsfield. When the United States entered World War II, Joseph Sr. enlisted in the Army and served for two years.
"After the war was over, my dad said we were moving to California, and everyone said OK," Russo says. "I was 5; I didn't get a vote."
The Russos moved to Willow Glen in the mid-1940s and later to east San Jose. Russo worked as a carpenter, and his wife worked as a waitress at a Chinese restaurant. In 1952 the family moved to Campbell and purchased a home on Winchester Boulevard and Chapman Drive.
"They decided to make Campbell their home," Russo says. "My dad then began to buy up property, including the Campbell chicken hatchery on Rincon Avenue."
His father purchased property near St. Lucy Church on Winchester Boulevard. He also developed apartment buildings in that same area.
Connie remained active in the city as well.
"I met her through her involvement with the Chamber of Commerce," Watson says. "She was such a petite woman that was very well-groomed, and she spoke very well."
Connie entered the real estate business after learning the trade from an uncle. During that time Joseph Sr. had the bright idea to purchase the Campbell home and restore it.
"My dad thought it would be a stately old mansion to live in," Russo says, even though the floor was unstable and the house lacked foliage.
"It was a lot of work to restore the home," says Russo, who helped his parents with the renovations before enlisting in the Army in 1963.
Once the home was restored, the Russos did not move in. Instead, the couple turned the house into a boarding facility known as Maxine's Boarding House.
House to home
In 1967 the Russos decided to close the boarding house and move in. Joe's father retired from real estate and began fixing up the old Campbell House.
"Once my parents moved, my mom decorated the home beautifully. It then became a stately mansion," says Russo, gently adjusting the chiffon curtains that his mother had sewn.
The house also shows his father's touch, with framed portraits Joseph Sr. painted during his retirement.
"The house was so well kept, with wonderful furniture. It was a home you know they loved because of the way it was decorated," Watson says.
This sense of comfort and security was enjoyed by the Russos' large family. Every year, the extended family gathered for the holidays. A large pine was placed in the front living room for neighbors and visitors to enjoy.
"My mom and dad put $100 in envelopes and gave it to us," Russo says. Russo would bring his six children, Mark, Doug, Laurie, Joey, Ray and Sherry, who are now all in their 30s and 40s, and his three grandchildren.
On New Year's Eve, the family would cook the Italian dish, cioppino, and serve it at midnight.
"There are a lot of memories," says Russo, who married for the second time in the home's back yard. Russo has been married to Maryann for 29 years.
During Connie and Joseph Sr.'s retirement the couple would open their home to visitors. Tour buses often pulled up to the curb.
"My parents loved it, and they were proud to show off the house," Russo says. "They'd bring people from the tour into the house and let art students sketch the house."
A pencil drawing of the home by an art student is on display in the Campbell museum.
The significance of the Campbell Home was recognized in the 1970s, with a plaque marking its importance in city history.
Into the future
"My parents were together for 66 years," Russo says. "Dad would thump the table, and mom would bring him a cup of coffee."
Joseph Sr. died in 2004, and Connie died in October 2005 from Alzheimer's disease. Russo became the sole owner of the property.
"My brother didn't want it because he lived in Visalia, which is near Bakersfield. So I split up the property and bought his half out," says Russo, who considered using the home as a wedding facility.
"My parents wouldn't have wanted that, though," he says.
So it was up to Russo to decide how to preserve the house.
It led to conversations with the Campbell Historic Preservation Board, and the idea of converting the home into office space.
"They thought it would be a perfect office building," says Russo, who wants to keep everything in the home original.
Ultimately, Russo wants to keep his home for as long as possible.
"I love this place. It has a lot of memories for me, with every nail I hammered and every brick I placed," he says.
