Recently restored, the Casa Grande was built in 1854 as the residence for the manager of the New Almaden Mines, the mercury mine that was the first and richest of all mines in California. Located in the New Almaden National Landmark Historic district, the 3-story Casa Grande was designed by prominent San Francisco architect Gordon Parker Cummings as brick covered by stucco and fronted with a veranda supported by slender wooden columns. The grounds were landscaped to include exotic plants, a lake for boating and swimming, and a sweeping lawn ideal for playing croquet. In the past, Casa Grande has been used as a club, restaurant, bar, and commercial business. Today it houses the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum as well as period rooms furnished to reflect wealthy Victorian tastes in the late 1880s.