A pioneer vintner who was also a master carpenter built this home for his family in 1898.  Manuel Nevis came to the United States from the Azores and started one of California's first wineries in Shingle Springs.

To construct the frame, Nevis used solid timbers over thirty feet long as the vertical studs.  The solid oak stairway was hand-carved, as were the newel posts covered with bunches of carved grapes.  Strong vertical lines are created by what resembles exposed framing and steep gables are softened by the curve of the corner gingerbread.  Nevis opened the Eagle Winery on 18th between O and P Streets and later the California and Pioneer Wineries on 21st and R Street.

In 1907 the house was moved to its present location from the corner of 21st and S Streets.  With Prohibition in the early 1920's, the wineries fell into demise.  The Nevis Mansion fell into the hands of doctors and lawyers for decades, with a gap in the 1970s when a guru communed.  Today, The Edgar Institute respects the rich vintner's lore or past Portuguese heritage with an 18-month restoration project with homage to the family roots of Ernest Domingo Luiz from the Azores, the father of the mother of the Edgar boys; Neil, Eric, Evan and Sean.