By Jessie Gambrell

A&E Co-Editor
To most students, the McMahan House is a mysterious, hidden house on the hill above the Mangrum Track & Field.
This mysterious gem is a modern-looking event facility that was built in 2009 and was completely funded and drawn up by Richard and JoAn McMahan in order to host events. The McMahan House is built on the CSUSM property that the Prohoroff family had previously owned before 1988.
It is a 3,200-square-foot facility that has four rooms and a large 2,690-square-foot courtyard. There are intrinsic pathways and gardens throughout the grounds that had been part of the Prohoroff’s original landscape and were preserved for this purpose. The ribbon cutting ceremony was on July 15, 2009.
“It was built to create a place on campus that would serve as a gathering place for students, faculty, staff and community members to share in events,” Public Information Officer, Margaret Lutz-Chantung said.
The McMahan House is a CSUSM event facility that also rents out for weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs and other events. In fact, just a few weeks ago, CSUSM held an informative meeting on the launch of the palliative care program, which included the CSU Chancellor Charles Reed. It was hosted in the Library of the McMahan House, which is not smart-equipped, unlike the Great Room and the Retreat Room that have a TV, Internet, a DVD player, and a sound system.
Many events are held at the McMahan House that students are unaware about. Being off campus a bit and hidden by many trees allows CSU officials, among others, to have complete privacy at their meetings. With its contemporary look and modern amenities, the McMahan House becomes quite a unique event facility compared to other universities.
“We hear a lot of people say when they come to our campus that it is a beautiful and warm facility. It blurs the line between campus and community and the architecture of it was built to be sustainable and ‘green,’” Lutz-Chantung said.
The Tower, which can be seen overlooking the Mangrum Track, is actually Mrs. McMahan’s favorite part of the complex. Inside is a large circular room with a giant, square, 16-chair table in the center, featuring a sculpture by Syd Harris called “Duplicity.” The Tower is also used during weddings as a preparation room for the bride before her wedding.
Anyone looking to host an event at the McMahan House can call Event and Conference Services at 760-750-8888 or visit www.csusm.edu/events for more information.