Penrose House History

The original one-story estate was built as a single-family residence in 1910 for Ashton Potter and Grace Goodyear Potter. They called it El Pomar because it was built on land that once belonged to the Dixon apple orchard. El Pomar is spanish for orchard. The Potters did not live there long before both passed away.

The home was purchased by Spencer and Julie Penrose in 1916. In the hands of the entrepreneur and his benevolent wife, it became a gathering spot where important business was conducted and visions were transformed into reality. The Penroses added the second and third stories to the home.

Spencer died in 1939 and Julie lived in the home alone until 1944 when she moved and donated the estate to the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in recognition of their importance in the community and the care they provided Spencer during his final years. For nearly five decades, the Sisters operated the home as a spiritual retreat center.

In 1992, El Pomar Foundation, the charitable foundation established by the Penroses, purchased the home and transformed it into an education and conference center for nonprofit organizations.

Penrose House has hosted numerous dignitaries and political leaders in its current role as a nonprofit meeting place. Notable visitors include:

• President George H.W. Bush
• Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev
• British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
• Olympic medalists Mark Spitz, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Picabo Street