Windsor’s Hembree House: A Family Landscape Becomes a Town Archive

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

A row of cypress trees can preserve a story as clearly as a building. At Windsor’s Cunningham-Hembree estate, the trees recall a family celebration, while the house now gives the wider community a place to preserve its own memories.

The setting brings together several periods of Windsor’s development. Reading those layers helps make sense of a town whose modern growth can otherwise overshadow its older agricultural landscape.

The driveway records a birth in 1872

The Windsor Historical Society’s museum account identifies the cypress row with Clara Hembree’s birth. Her father, James McClelland, planted the trees in 1872 along the Cunningham Ranch driveway.

Clara’s grandfather, Robert Cunningham, established the family homestead in the nineteenth century. The property eventually passed to his granddaughters Clara and Ella.

Clara and Dr. Atlas Hembree built their Spanish-style retirement home on the ranch in 1931. The house therefore belongs to a later chapter of an older estate, rather than to the initial period of settlement.

That difference is visible in the story of the grounds. A mature planting, an earlier homestead and a twentieth-century residence can all form part of one historic property without sharing a single construction date.

The estate received recognition for more than its house

The Town’s August 2018 announcement records the estate’s July 9, 2018 placement in the state and National Register of Historic Places.

The announcement describes an original Cunningham homestead cabin, the cypress-lined driveway and the Hembree residence. It also connects the estate with historic transportation routes and the family’s contributions to Windsor’s civic development.

This is a useful example of a historic resource defined by relationships. The drive explains how people approached the property; the buildings show different periods of occupation; the family history connects the physical setting with the developing town.

The Town credited Historical Society volunteers and the nomination’s author for carrying the recognition process forward. Preserving a familiar place required research as well as affection.

A residential building acquired a public purpose

The Town’s 2017 parks and recreation master plan describes the Hembree House as a 2,965-square-foot facility associated with Landmark Park. It records the museum use and the Historical Society’s lease dating to 2009.

That public role changes how a residence contributes to its surroundings. Rooms once organized around family life can hold objects, photographs and accounts of many local lives.

The scale remains domestic. This gives a small museum a different character from a purpose-built exhibition hall: the building itself stays part of the material being interpreted.

The archive extends beyond the display rooms

The Historical Society’s research services include historic photographs, maps and local-history information. These resources offer ways to connect an individual place or family story with a broader community record.

For a new resident, that is an invitation to learn Windsor through more than its newest development. Old routes, inherited landscapes and the institutions that preserve them all contribute to a town’s identity.

The estate is especially revealing because its history continues through a change of use. The family home became a museum, while the cypress row still marks a personal event that occurred long before Windsor became its present-day town.

That continuity gives the place a particular appeal. A town can grow around an estate while its older landmarks remain readable. Here, the surviving house and tree-lined approach offer a starting point for understanding the people and land uses behind familiar street names and local institutions.

Explore real estate and home for sale in Windsor, or contact Diamond to discuss a location that fits your plans.

Sources checked October 28, 2026. Historical details are attributed to the linked primary records and site operators. Check the operator for current visiting arrangements.