The beautiful white Victorian home, the Atkinson house, that greets our guests at the end of the Camphor lined driveway is a registered historical landmark in the Napa Valley. Its history dates back to the 1800’s and continues to be a reminder of a bygone era. The interiors have been carefully restored and decorated to reflect the popular style of the 1800’s. We have tried to keep the home true to its original look and feel as part of our commitment to preserving a little bit of the Napa Valley’s (and our) history. Below is a piece written by the St. Helena Register about the Atkinson family and our namesake, Edward St. Supery.
“The roots of St. Supery Winery were explored during a meeting of the St. Helena Historical Society. Michaela Rodeno, the Rutherford winery’s chief executive, led the gathering on a tour of the Atkinson House and the winery, and hosted a special VIP tasting afterward. Little is known about Joseph B. Atkinson, believed to have built the house on the property, which has been beautifully restored by the winery. Joseph was born circa 1827, possibly in England.
Coming to California in the 1840s, he went into partnership with his brother in the shirt and collar business. Joseph ran the business from an office at 310 California St. in San Francisco, while his brother had charge of the factory in Philadelphia. Numerous consulting trips were required by Joseph back to the factory. Sales of the
collars, more than the shirts, made a fortune for the two brothers. Collars, being changed more often than shirts, may have been the main cause of the hefty sales.
A longtime asthma sufferer, Joseph came to the Napa Valley with his wife in hopes of improving his health.
Along with buying the Rutherford property, which today is St. Supery Winery, Joseph, also went into business
with Seneca Ewer. Together, they established the Ewer and Atkinson Wine Company. In 1902, Joseph and his wife returned to San Francisco, where he died from asthma complications two years later. Another owner of the property was Edward St. Supery, brother of Mrs. (Adele) Jean V. Chaix, who was a partner in the Brun and Chaix Winery in Oakville. Edward, too, was a quiet person.
He was born circa 1862 to Elizabeth and Antoine St. Supery. Antoine was described as a “pioneer capitalist” in San Francisco. Edward grew up here, along with siblings Alfred and Adele. With the deaths of both Brun and Chaix, the winery, Nouveau Medoc, was eventually sold for over $200,000 — no small sum at the turn of the century. Adele and her children moved back to their house in San Francisco at 2056 Bush St., where Edward later joined them. He died in 1938.”
(Source: St. Helena Register 2008; By Kathleen Kernberger SPECIAL TO THE STAR Thursday, January 17, 2008)
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