940 Grove Street - 1982

Built in 1895 for an English immigrant from the Gold Rush and his new French bride. Built by Albert Prissis. Edward Probert, the first owner, made his money working in the Nevada Silver mines. In the 1880's he acquired over 35,000 acres of Tehama County farmland. He was in his seventies and his wife Camile Caroline was in her thirties; they moved into their new home at 940 Grove Street in 1895. They had no children and lived alone in their large home with their servants. After only a few years, Albert suffered a paralytic stroke and in 1900 he went up to the attic and committed suicide. The family sold the house in 1949 to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. They named the building Convent San Antonio. In 1956, the Catholic order sold the house to Giacomo Patri, an Italian-born art teacher, who used it as his family's residence, as well as his Patri School of Art Fundamentals. In 1966, it was converted to the French American bilingual school. In 1978, it was sold to Mary Burt who opened the Burt Children's Center, initially focused on Autistic children. Now it treats children from the ages of 4-12 who are severely emotionally disturbed. These children live at the house, and four come in on a daily basis. In the Spring of 2009, the building was up for sale for $2,750,000 with 10 bedrooms and 5 baths. As of 2014, the classrooms have been demolished and the site has been prepared for new construction. Photo by V., Szczepaniak, student.