Historic $35M California Lake Tahoe estate for sale
A stunning 4.29-acre estate on the shoreline of Rubicon Bay on Lake Tahoe, owned by a family with deep ties to Nevada that go back more than 150 years, is listed for $35 million. The prestigious lakefront property at 8901 Rubicon Drive in Tahoma, California, features over 660 feet of shoreline with a compound, a third parcel that is prime for development, a pier and a boathouse.
After a 60-year legacy, the grandchildren, as part of the Charles C. Henderson Trust, decided to sell the Henderson family’s longtime vacation home, which held many memories for the family. Harriet and Wellington Henderson purchased the property in 1960.
Wellington Henderson was born in Elko, and his great-grandfather, Lewis Rice Bradley, was the second governor of Nevada in 1871. His father, Charles B. Henderson, served as a United States senator representing Nevada in 1917.
The discerning Harriet Henderson, an art collector who spent summers in Lake Tahoe, selected the site after extensive exploration of the West Shore.
“I believe my grandmother, Harriet Henderson, came up to Lake Tahoe until she was 100 years old,” said Elena Henderson Keating.
The mostly level acreage offers a main house, a bunkhouse/garage with an extra bedroom suite and a separate guest house. The 3,848-square-foot main house, built in 1949, is all one level and comprises six bedrooms and five baths. Its midcentury design offers a contemporary feel.
The kitchen and baths were updated several years ago, but the original kitchen cabinets remained unchanged. The great room features an indoor stone fireplace, a dining area and floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the lake. This creates a seamless indoor/outdoor living experience that opens onto the outdoor terrace. This outdoor space includes a covered dining area, ample seating and its own stone fireplace. From the patio, guests can access more than 660 feet of shoreline, complete with a dock, boathouse, lakeside seating area and moorings. The southeast location provides gorgeous views and optimal sun exposure for both sunrises and sunset.
“You can see a panoramic view of the entire lake, almost. It’s stunning and mesmerizing, and we always gather out there to talk and be together. We would look at the lake and the moon coming up, and that’s one of my favorite times,” said Joan Henderson, one of the members of the trust.
Next to the house is a two-car, detached garage converted to a 500-square-foot two-bedroom guesthouse with a bunk, maintaining the midcentury-designed bathroom with separate access. Roll-up doors are still there for an option to convert back to a garage. That structure sits near the main house, while the other guest cabin is farther away, offering plenty of privacy.
A second two-bedroom guesthouse, with 892 square feet of living space, was built in 1960. This original building remains with a lakeview deck and stairs down to the water. The property’s greenery includes a grass course for sports like volleyball, croquet, horseshoes and other outdoor activities.
“Being on the property, we hear echoes of a magical time in our family history. We have been incredibly privileged and blessed to have had this amazing home in our family for almost 65 years,” Joan Henderson said.