Passion and Purpose Come Together in San Jose
Start planning your visit to the historic Hayes Mansion for the Zonta International, District 9 2015 conference. Zontians from the Southwest and Hawaii will gather to see old friends, make new ones, laugh, play and be inspired. Come and experience the warmth and energy that results when we come together to conduct business,
celebrate our accomplishments, and advance our mission to empower women.
The location is unforgettable, and the conference will be too.
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District 9 Conference
Tempe, Arizona
October 3-6, 2017
Thanks to our Sponsors
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Hayes Mansion History
Welcome to the historic Hayes Mansion, once home of the prominent and illustrious Hayes family.
The Hayes family, led by matriarch, Mary Hayes Chynoweth, became wealthy through its iron ore mining ventures in Wisconsin and Michigan beginning in 1885. The family, Mary, her two sons, Jay O. Hayes and Everis A. Hayes, along with their families, moved to San Jose in 1887 after purchasing 239 acres and a house from Frederick Tennant. Their first mansion, a 22,0000 square foot 1891
Queen Anne Victorian with more than fifty rooms, burned to the ground in 1899.
Construction on the current Hayes Mansion
began in 1903 and the family, except Mary
Hayes Chynoweth (who died on July 27, 1905), moved in time for Thanksgiving, 1905. The original Mansion was 41,000 square feet and contained 64 rooms. Just like the first Mansion, this Mansion was built as a triple residence. Mary was to occupy the rooms on the second floor of the center portion, and sons Jay and Everis and their families had the East and West wings respectively.
The Hayes family sold their remaining property, including the mansion and the park land in 1954.
Both Jay and Everis obtained their law degrees in Wisconsin, but left the legal trade to manage the mines and other family enterprises. They purchased the San Jose Herald in 1900 and San Jose Mercury in 1901 as a means of supporting good government in San Jose during a time when corruption was rampant. They also purchased The Evening News in 1942. These newspapers eventually became the San Jose Mercury News.
The City of San Jose purchased the mansion and the remaining 6.2 acres of land around it in 1985. The mansion was converted into a conference center that opened in1994 with the addition of a dining room and large meeting room. Additions in 1996 ad 2002 provided a total of 214 guest rooms and suites and 33,000 square feet of event space.