Edward Churchill and his wife, Mary, moved to Napa from Rochester, N.Y., in 1878, when he became the cashier of the James H. Goodman Bank (later sold to the Bank of Italy). He and Mary built the Churchill Manor in 1889 on Brown Street (then named Grant Street), considered to be the original street of the Napa founders. At nearly 10,000 square feet, Churchill Manor was reputedly the largest home in the Napa Valley at the time. After finishing it, Churchill built what is now known as Cedar Gables, which he presented to his son as a wedding gift in 1891.
Brian Jensen and Joanna Guidotti have spent decades restoring Churchill Manor into one of Napa’s most admired inns. Together, they revived the mansion room by room, reopening it for guests just a month after purchase. Guidotti has personally coordinated more than a thousand weddings, while Jensen’s talents in the kitchen—especially his signature Flambeed Amaretto Shrimp—have become part of the inn’s charm. United by humor, dedication, and an eye for detail, they have preserved the home’s beauty and spirit through years of hard work.
