Smith Reserve was a subdivision in Montclair and is now called Piedmont Pines.
Smith Reserve is located at the top of Park Blvd with borders on Shepherd Canyon and Joaquin Miller Park and up to Skyline Blvd.
Smith Reserve Opens
The Realty Syndicate announced in May of 1926 that they were putting 300 acres in the hills behind Piedmont for sale. TF.M. Smith once owned the land.
“Smith reserve is the most beautiful tract of land opened by the Syndicate Company”
Oakland Tribune
“Much of the beauty of Smith Reserve is due to the varied groupings of oaks, ecualyptus and pine trees which cover the entire tract. The different shades of green, together with the variety of sizes and shapes of these trees afford an almost endless variety of choice to people in search of unusualsettings for distinctive homes.”
Oakland Tribune
Huge Sales!
In July of 1926, two months after the subdivision was open, the Realty Syndicate reported nearly $250,000 in sales. They also said a bus transportation system would be implemented, connecting with both local and San Francisco electric lines. – Oakland Tribune, July 18, 1928.
“Scenic Beauty”
Oakland Tribune 1926
“The Princely Estate of F.M. “Borax” Smith”
Oakland Tribune
“Selected years ago by F.M. “Borax” Smith as a private estate when thousands of acres of the finest residentioal property in the East Bay were owned by him, Smith Reserve was set apart for eleborate development.”
Smith built Arbor Villa on the site further down on Park Blvd.
Camp Dimond
In 1919, 25 acres of the Smith Reserve were sold to the Oakland-Piedmont Council of the Boy Scouts of America for a camp. It was called Camp Dimond and was in use from 1919-1948.
In 1948 the Oakland Public School district took over the land and built Joaquin Miller Elementary and Montera Junior High Schools.
Bus Service
In July of 1928, the Realty Syndicate inaugurated a regular bus service into Montclair Highlands and Smith Reserve from the terminal at Moraga Ave and Hampton Road ( now La Salle Ave.) The buses had a regular schedule but alternated their run. It would go to Smith Reserve first on one trip and go to Montclair Highlands first on the next trip.
In Smith Reserve
In September of 1928, they broke ground for two new Spanish-type homes ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 in building costs. Architect Hamilton Murdock completed plans for four additional homes with three more on the drawing board. They embraced various types of architecture. Two of the homes were of the modified Spanish hacienda type with balconies overlooking the Eastbay and the Golden Gate.
One of the homes started in 1928 was the residence of G.O. Thomas. This h me was Spanish in style and was to cost $20,000.
The Harry S. Stockman is a nine-room English-type home that cost $25,000 to build. The house has a panorama view of the hills, Eastbay, and landscaped grounds and is at 5640 Castle Drive at Mountain Gate.
Panorama Home
This home is located on Ascot Court.
Hacienda Monterey
“the brave days of dashing dons and senoritas live again at “Hacienda Monterey” in Smith Reseve.”
Oakland Tribune
Piedmont Pines
In the early 1930s, Smith Reserve was re-subdivided and renamed Piedmont Pines.
New Light Beacon
More Info:
- Boy Scouts Get Land for Camp – Oakland Tribune Jan 20, 1919
- 300 Acres of Fine Land is Put on Sale – S.F. Examiner May 22, 1926
- Smith Reserve Selling – S.F. Examiner May 29, 1926
- Syndicate to Open Big Estate – Oakland Tribune May 1926
- Visitors Crowd to New Tract – Oakland Tribune May 30, 1926
- Huge Sales Total for Reserve – Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926
- New Oakland Homes – Oakland Tribune Aug 21, 1926
- Many Homes Building in Smith Reserve – Oakland Tribune Sep 2, 1928
- Smith Reserve Attracts Home Buyers – S.F. Examiner Oct 13, 1928
- Noted Actress Praises Smith Reserve – Oakland Tribune Oct 21, 1928
- New Tract Office for Smith Reserve – S.F. Examiner Oct 28, 1928
- Smith Reserve Romance Told – S.F. Examiner Apr 6, 1929
- Smith Reserve to Have Idora Search Light – Oakland Tribune Jan 27, 1929
- Giant Eye to Be Tested – Oakland Tribune Mar 3, 1929
This is fascinating, Dorothy—you did some thorough and painstaking work on this—many thanks. Happy Holidays!
—Bob
Happy Holidays to you also!
This is a wonderful article. Thank you for supplying so many details of Montclair history. I spent more than an hour absorbing bits and pieces.
Wow! It is a pleasure to read all of the nuggets of facts you glean on Oakland history. The photo of Arbor Villa is especially interesting. Is the searchlight from Idora Park the structure seen on the left of that picture?
Christmas Blessings and Happy New Year to you!
Actually both photos of the Idora Park searchlight. The bottom photo is when it is still at Idora Park. Comments like yours make my day. Happy Holidays!
It was fun reading these articles. Makes you hungry for more.
I have at least five more almost ready to post. I hope to do it before the end of the year. Happy Holidays!
This is amazingly wonderful! I am sharing your blog with Steve Beck of Sebastapol, grandson of F.M. and Evelyn Smith. Happy Holidays! – Amelia
Thanks to Amela Marshall, I saw this post which is of special interest to me as my mother was Mary Evelyn Smith Beck, first of Francis and Evelyn Smith, making me their first grandchild. This is by far the most detailed compilation of the development of Oakland’s hillside property lend by The Realty Trust I have seen and will ptint this post to add to the family history collection. I will also forward Amela’s email to the other 5 surviving grandchildren, All but one of which live in CA. One of them is Francis Marion Smith III living in Nevada Co. South of Grass Valley, whose son is name Francis Marion Smith IV who is in his later teens.
While born in Oakland, ai attended Beach Elementary and Piedmont Jr. and Sr High schools. I have lived outside of Sebastopol since Oct 1993 and am looking forward to exploring Piedmont Pines now that I know here it is.
Piedmont Pines is the pleasant neighborhood mostly downslope from Skyline Boulevard, near Chabot Space and Science Center. It is bounded by the Shepherd Canyon district to the north, and the Woodminster neighborhood and Joaquin Miller Park to the south. (According to this recovering Realtor.)
Amelia