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James Lick (1796-1876), a one-time piano maker who made a huge fortune through shrewd real estate investments, owned this residence near to his flour mill and other agricultural lands. Lick used the main residence when he worked at his Santa Clara farm, supervising his orchards and grain fields. The complex also included a flour mill, round brick granary and millpond. The flour mill burned down in 1882; a distillery, Union Distilling Company, transformed Lick's flour-making buildings into an alcohol-production facility by 1902. The land remained used for industrial purposes by the Western Grain and Sugar Products, Western Carbonic Gas, American Salt and Chemical and Commercial Solvents and Chemical Companies until the 1970s, when its corporate owners sold it to a real estate developer. The Mansion Grove Apartments were later built on the grounds. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on 03/02/1982. The residence has been rented to various non-profit groups for their use over the years. Permission to access the Lick House must be obtained from the Mansion Grove Apartments' Office.

The Lick Mansion had two stories, with a wraparound porch shading the first floor. Redwood drop siding covered the residence which had Italianate and vaguely Neo-classical touches. Italianate features included the long tall windows topped by arches or trabeation, the drop siding, and decorative bracket work. The building's Ionic piers, projecting pediment and bilateral symmetry suggested Neo-classical influences. The residence contained 24 rooms, each fitted with a fireplace. A small, gable-roofed Superintendent's House, also stood on the property.