Updated Jan 2021
“A Spanish Type Home for Smith Reserve”
Oakland Tribune December 15, 1929.
“The Casa Maria Luisa,” the first of the “Daughter of Peralta” homes, will open an exhibition residence with imported furnishings in Smith Reserve (now the Piedmont Pines section of Montclair in Oakland) after January 1, 1930. Fully decorated by H.C. Capwell company and sold by the Realty Syndicate.
Casa Maria Luisa, when completely furnished, represented an investment of $50,000.
“Master craftsmen have been employed in building and furnishing this usual home”
Oakland Tribune January 19, 1930
One of the noted Cathedral Artists stenciled the beams and ceilings, lighting fixtures from rare old-world patterns, and overhanging balconies reminiscent of early Spanish California with heavy doors. Oriental rugs of Spanish design are made to order. The house had numerous 1930’s state-of-the-art features, including a Walker Electric Sink in the kitchen.
Casa Maria Luisa occupies three wooded lots with a panoramic view. They surrounded the home with rare shrubs, plants, and Monterey and Cypress Trees.
Casa Maria Luisa opened to rave reviews claiming to be
“the most beautiful and popular home ever shown in Oakland.”
Forty-six thousand people toured Casa Masa Luisa through April 1930.
In 1931, The Oakland Tribune Yearbook named it one of the most beautiful homes of that year.
William and Cordelia Wanderforde purchased the home in about 1931.
In 1987 a couple bought the home from the original owner Cordelia who had lived there for some 50 years. They put a lot of money into repairing and updating the house.
- 6514 Ascott Drive
- Built 1929-30
- Smith Reserve (Piedmont Pines)
- Realty Syndicate
- Hamilton Murdock – Architect
- Opened in 1930 for a $18,500
- Last sold 1997 for $698,000
More Info:
- Spanish Type Home to Open –Oakland Tribune January 12, 1930
- 46,000 See Display Home – SF Examiner April 5, 1930
Pingback: Smith Reserve – A Bit of History
I was a close friend of Delia – as she disliked her given name Cordelia – although in her waning years she became reclusive and difficult; I may have been her only friend at her passing. As an architect I was fascinated by the original magnificence of the home and enjoyed many hours talking with her in the beautiful dining room. Both her and the house’s decline bothered me deeply. I devoted a chapter to her in my autobiography as she meant that much to me.
David Reichel
Architect
Lemon Grove, CA
I’d love to know more about her. I believe the architect for her house might have been Hamilton Murdock. I think I went to Skyline with your daughter? Class of 1980.
Dot I’m a bit confused. Was Cordelia a Peralta? Or do you know why it was called a “Daughter of Peralta” homes? Sounds like their was more than one. For those who don’t know, the Peralta’s once owned the East Bay. From as I recall modern day Fremont to Richmond prior to the discovery of gold. Once gold was discovered and the East Bay was becoming settled by people squatted on and stealing their land. For the next 30 years or so Peralta’s spent a fortune in the courts calming ownership of their land. Initially the courts ruled against them costing them more money and forcing them to sell large portions of their land. But they eventually prevailed but by that time the land hand been settled, subdivided and resold. The Peralta’s still owned some land but it was only a sliver of what they once owned. I’m wonder if Cordelia was the granddaughter of the Peralta family? Or was the house/houses just named “Daughters of Peralta” and had nothing to do with the Peralta family. Dot do you know?
No, just marketing, using the name Peralta to sell houses. There were supposed to be four homes in the
“Daughters of Peralta” series but I think this was the only one built, The Fremont Home in the same area was named after General Fremont, and is close to the place where he proclaimed the area the “Golden Gate.”