Poland native Jacob Hyman had this house built in Folsom, California in 1881. After arriving in the city around 1860, he opened J. Hyman & Company dry goods store on Sutter Street, which was operated by members of the Hyman family until 1942.

Hyman owned one of the first automobiles in Folsom, and at the time, built a carriage house to store it.

The facade of the house is largely unchanged since its build, and the home is said to have a fireplace in each room. But it’s the intricately carved front doors that made our hearts most happy.

For a period of time, Hyman also owned a building in town referred to as Emma’s Place. He purchased it as an investment property after a brutal murder had happened there, but had trouble selling it. So he rented it to bordello operators. In a 1904 map, the building was labeled as “red light.”

The Hymans had four children, Rose, Laura, Isaac and Walter. Walter hung the first power lines in Folsom, and his company was later sold to what would become PG&E.

Jacob and his wife, Belle, are buried in the Jewish area of Lakeside Memorial Cemetery in Folsom.