About Nancy Newlin
Nancy Newlin has a lifelong interest in architecture and a more recent interest in historical architecture and preservation. She first discovered the Hayes mansion in 1989. Two years later, after she had an opportunity to go inside the then-empty and boarded-up house, she knew that there was a story worth telling, from the indomitable matriarch who created the estate to the people who rallied to save it from destruction.
During the yearlong process of converting the Hayes mansion into the Hayes Mansion Conference Center, Ms. Newlin was often on site, collecting samples of original materials for preservation and witnessing the demolition and reconstruction firsthand. She took over 500 photographs to document the process, some of which appear in this book.
Ms. Newlin has years of experience in research and writing. She
served on the board of directors of the Preservation Action Council of
San Jose and was editor of its newsletter for several years. She holds
a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a master’s degree in library
science. She lives in San Jose and is currently employed as a senior
technical writer.
Ms. Newlin also edits manuscripts and
assists writers in developing their own publications through Ampersand Creative Services.