Millbrae Historical Museum takes historic Hamadryade statue from the El Rancho Inn

It’s assumed he brought the Hamadrade statue with him on his journey from Italy to the United States, sailing with it around Cape Horn, Millbrae historian Tom Dawdy said. Mills had a collection of statues, including one that now sits in the rotunda at the state Capitol, but the Hamadryade was one of his favorites. 

“Now in Millbrae, we get to have one of his favorite statues for display, pretty much hopefully forever in Millbrae,” Dawdy said. 

After the Mills Estate mansion burned down in a fire in 1954, it was relocated to the El Rancho Inn — a piece of Millbrae history in and of itself. 

The Best Western El Rancho Inn, which was recently demolished to make way for a new 384-unit housing development, was known for its famous underwater swimming pool window in the “Mermaid Room” bar. It was featured in the 1983 movie “The Right Stuff,” and the hotel had seen famous guests throughout the years, including Joan Crawford and Richard Nixon.

Now that the hotel has been demolished, the statue will find a new home in front of the Millbrae Historical Museum, Dawdy said. 

“This is a huge piece of Millbrae history, and we're just so overwhelmed to be able to save it,” Dawdy said. 

An unveiling will be planned for a future summer date to honor one of Millbrae’s most important historically-preserved art pieces, he said. 

“We'll plan an unveiling for the statue, because it's going to be like one of the most important pieces of art in Millbrae, for sure,” Dawdy said.