The Historic Julia Morgan House will hold its grand opening at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Morgan House is the home of the Life Center, a program designed to provide health and fitness services to older adults in the Sacramento area.

The Historic Julia Morgan House has recently undergone a $1.7 million restoration. The 6,000-square foot residence was left to the CSUS foundation by its original owner, Charles Goethe.

The grand opening will serve as a thank you to all of the donors and workers who contributed to the remodeling effort. Attendance is by invitation only.

The restoration began in the fall of last year and was completed in September.

The home, located on T street, was completed for Goethe in 1927 by renowned architect Julia Morgan. It is the only residence built by Morgan in the Sacramento area. Morgan was the first woman licensed to practice architecture in California.

Her most famous commission was the Hearst Castle, built for publisher William Randolph Hearst. The Morgan House was acquired by the CSUS Foundation in 1966 when Goethe died. It has since been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The task of interior restoration was carried out by John F. Otto, a local builder with past experience in restoration in the Sacramento area. The Mediterranean revival style home underwent a remodeling that attempted to restore many of the touches of the original design.

The project involved removing several late modifications made to the house interior and replacing elements that had been altered or lost, as well as an 800-square foot addition to the original structure. The garage area has also been remodeled for University programs. A 480-square foot restroom facility has been added around the home, along with parking improvements. The outdoor gardens have been replanted by landscaper Ed Haag.

Funding for the project was aided by a $200,000 incentive grant and a $125,000 low-interest construction loan, as well as local fund raising.

The Life Center, which is run in the Northwest wing of the Morgan House by the College of Health and Human Services, will offer several programs for older adults, including individualized fitness activities, on-site group fitness and health education classes. These classes range from Balance/Fall Reduction to Tai Chi. The Life Center will also offer an open gym.

In addition to health and fitness promotion, there will also be a computer lab with a direct link to the World Wide Web. The computers will be available through classes or during open lab times. Many of the programs offered at the Life Center will be free; others will require a varying cost. The Life Center is open to all adults over the age of 50.

Dr. Jayne Willett, co-director of the Life Center, estimates that it could eventually service as many as 300 people a week.

“We felt it was a service needed in the community,” said Anita Watson, a professor of nursing and development officer for the College of Health and Human Services.

The Life Center will involve students and faculty from all departments of the College of Health and Human Services. Students involved in these departments can work at the Life Center as part of an internship.

In addition to the Life Center, the Morgan House also hosts many community events, as well as weddings and banquets.