GREAT ESCAPES FAR FROM THE MADDENING CROWD : BUENA PARK : Old Houses Offer a Unique View of County’s History

Standing before the picturesque wooden structures built in the late 1800s, one imagines the sounds of horses’ hooves on cobblestones rather than the traffic on the nearby Santa Ana Freeway.

Hidden away in a parklike setting of redwood, macadamia nut and pecan trees sit two of Buena Park’s oldest homes. One is the Whitaker-Jaynes House, built in 1887 by Andrew Whitaker, brother of Buena Park founder James Whitaker. The other is the Bacon House, built in 1884 by an unknown squatter and later acquired by James Bacon.

The houses hold a wealth of memories, including a display of women’s hats from the mid-1800s, a collection of dolls with human hair modeled after the wives of U.S. Presidents, pastel chalk portraits that date back more than 100 years, a grand piano constructed in 1879, and various pieces and sets of crystal, silver and china collected and donated by lovers of history.

Ready to acquaint visitors with the stories behind each piece or collection in the restored structures is curator Roberta Knisley, who donates her time and tender care to the upkeep of each house.

“There are so few historical sites like this one for people to visit. It’s an important part of history,” says Knisley.

One of her favorite displays is a collection of toys from the early 1900s. The collection includes likenesses of the Dion Quintuplets, the first quintuplets to survive, and a windup taxicab over 60 years old, which still operates.

One of the most graceful settings of the Whitaker-Jaynes house can be found in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Set up much like it would have a hundred years ago is a bedroom suite donated by Walter and Cornelia Knott. The suite includes a double bed with headboard and dresser made from carved walnut, finished with burrow wood inserts from the Victorian Renaissance period. The dresser has a hidden drawer, and the quilt on the bed is fashioned with 13,027 hand-stitched squares in alternating colors.

“We once held a contest for people to guess how many squares were in the quilt,” said Knisley. “It was funny because the men would try to measure and calculate, whereas the women would just guess. A woman won.”

The Whitaker-Jaynes, house located on Whitaker Street next to Manchester Boulevard, later belonged to J.D. Jaynes, whose children sold the house to the city of Buena Park in 1965.

The house is open for group and individual tours every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and every second Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., except on holidays. Admission is free.