I thought I would take a moment to share some Christmas ads and articles from The Montclarion. I know these ads will bring back memories from some of you.
From the 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
Christmas Time in Montclair
6
The Home Place of Romance – Smith Reserve
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
The End
Early Residents of Montclair – Before 1920
In the mid-1980s, I started looking into the history of Montclair in Oakland Hills. I discovered that Montclair had residents as early as 1865. Here is “A bit of History” of them.
I will also be doing a piece about the residents from 1900-1920.
Colonel John C. Hays – Fernwood
In the late 1850s, retired Texas Ranger Colonel John “Jack” Coffee Hays purchased about 800 acres of land in the hills of Oakland, behind what is now Piedmont. His beautiful country estate was Fernwood, and he lived there with his wife Susan and their children.
(Published by Thompson & West, Oakland, Cal., 1878)
from Oakland History Room
His home was near today’s Mountain Boulevard and Thornhill Drive in Montclair. The area was frequently referred to as Hays (Hayes) Canyon or “Jack Hays Canyon.” The main road to his property from downtown Oakland would later be Moraga Avenue.
Hays died at home on April 22, 1883, at 66. After his death, Fernwood was sold to William J. Dingee.
William J. Dingee – Fernwood
William Dingee, water magnate and competitor of Anthony Chabot. Dingee enlarged and embellished the gardens, adding fountains, terraces, and statues. The improvements were said to have cost a quarter-million dollars.
Dingee built an opulent 19-room Queen-Anne-style mansion with additional landscaping, gardens, terraces, and waterfalls. He also added such features as a deer park and an elk paddock.
Sadly, the home and countless artworks were destroyed in a fire in 1899. Oakland Tribune Oct 19, 1899
Sometime after 1915, Dr. and Mrs. Nelson M. Percy of Chicago, Illinois, purchased the former W.J. DIngee home “Fernwood” for an undisclosed amount.
Gibson and Fields
Cote Brilliant
Judge E.M. Gibson owned the property just beyond Thornhill School. Gibson built a beautiful home called “Cote Brilliant, ” later owned by E.M Boggs. The house burned down in 1910. Dr. Mark Emerson bought the land in the mid-1920s, built a lovely home, and lived there until the late 1950s. St John’s Episcopal Church is now there.
J. B. Fields
Joseph B. Fields was born in England. Before moving to Hays Canyon, he was an Oakland Police officer for 12 years.
He owned 25 acres of farming land next to the property of Judge Gibson. His farm was in the general location of Aspinwall Road today.
Fields died at his farm in 1891.
Glen Kohler
Glen Kohler, the home of Mrs. C.A. Kohler, was located about where Thornhill Drive, Pinehaven Road, and Woodhaven Way meet.
Cordelia A. (“CA”) Kohler was the widow of Andrew Kohler (1819-1885) of Kohler & Chase Pianos.
Glen Kohler was designed by architects Samuel and Joseph C. Newsom (Newsom Brothers) in 1885. The residence was 18 rooms in what was known as a “freestyle.” It cost about $10,000.
She died at her home in Hays Canyon on November 27, 1894. Her funeral was attended mainly by the old settlers of the county and was held at her home on November 30, 1894. She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery alongside her husband Andrew and her daughter Louisa (1849-1854), who died at age 5.
More Info:
- In Hays Caynon – SF Call Mar 2, 1891
I don’t know what happened to Glen Kohler after Mrs. Kohler died.
- Ye Olden Days – Oakland Tribune March 05, 1922
- The Knave Hays Canyon – Oakland Tribune Dec 29, 1968
- John Coffee Hays – Oakland Local Wiki
The End
Painted Rock
The “Painted Rock” is a famous, well-known landmark in Piedmont Pines, often fully painted with birthday or anniversary messages. Painted Rock is located at the ‘Y” where Ascot Drive and Chelton Drive
The area was called Sulphur Springs Park.
Some History
In the 1930s, the Rock was placed in a project under the auspice of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). I believe they created the benches.
In the 1960s, residents began painting messages on the rock. This tradition has continued to this day.
Early on, the area residents complained about the messages that appeared on the Rock. Some called it “grafitti rock.“
A Bufano Statue
There was talk of placing a Bufano statue at the rock.
At the crossroads
“There’s a rock at the intersection of Ascot and Chelton drives and it’s become almost a national monument in Piedmont Pines”
Peggy Stinnett 1966
“People who live in Piedmont Pines drive past the rock twice a day more or less”
Peggy Stinnett 1966
There was even a “Save the Rock” campaign for a while. They insisted the Rock should stay in its natural state. Others said the Rock should be a “servant to young mankind, a forum for self-expression.” While the groups were going back and forth, city crews came in and sandblasted the Rock. The controversy didn’t happen when the Rock was painted in purple.
“I am a Rock.”
The Rock is Famous
The above article was repeated or excerpted in many newspapers across the nation.
Name Change
In 2003, Piedmont Pines residents petitioned the City of Oakland to honor Marjorie Saunders (1909-2009) many contributions by renaming Sulphur Springs Park (“Painted Rock”) to “Marjorie Saunders Park.”
On June 26, 2004, more than 100 neighbors and dignitaries turned out for the Park’s dedication in her name.
Toxic
A middle school student, Cameron Cox, reported on the potential pollution associated with painting the Rock.
“After passing by the rock nearly every day on her way to school, 12-year-old Cameron Cox, decided to test the water that runs off the rock into a creek for a Bentley School project, and found harmfully high levels of levels of acetone, butanone, benzene and other volatile compounds.”
East Bay Times April 19, 2018
“The runoff from the paint contains toxins and pollutes the watershed. I believe in honoring tradition, but not at the environment’s expense.”
East Bay Times April 19, 2018
Photos of Painted Rock
More Info:
Does anyone have photos of painted Rock that they would like to share? Please let me know. Thanks
Marjorie Saunders Park and the Painted Rock – Fact Sheet
This fact sheet addresses recent concerns associated with potential pollution associated with the painting of the Rock at Marjorie Saunders Park.
“For almost 70 years, PPNA has been the voluntary steward of this Park and has recently been in discussions with the city to address the pollution concerns that have been raised.” – website.
The city confirmed that painting the Rock is not permitted
- Friends of Sausel Creek – Marjorie Saunders Park
- Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association – Marjorie Saunders Park
- Rabbi Has Concern Over Painted Rock – East Bay Times August 15, 2017
- Oakland’ Painted Rock’ tradition harms ecosystem, sixth-grader finds – East Bay Times April 19, 2018
The End
Montclair East
Montclair East is a shopping center with business offices located at 2220 Mountain Blvd. It is now called Village Square.
James Fernhoff, a local real estate broker, was the initial developer.
The Site
Sidney Chown owned the 2 1/2 acre plot before the building of Montclair East.
Sidney Chown was one of Northern California’s best-known horsemen when he died in 1961. He owned and operated grocery stores in Oakland and Berkeley.
The Chown’s purchased the land in approximately 1920. They were considered some of the founding residents in Montclair.
Chown and his friends organized Piedmont Trails Club. He built up his ranch to include 12 stalls and an arena for horses.
After his death, his wife Lucille sold the property.
Project Approved
During an Oakland City Planning Commission public hearing where Lucille A. Chown was asking for her property at 2220 Andrews St (the site) to be rezoned as commercial.
Fernhoff stated “the project would include parking for 110 cars, rustic architecture with shake roofs and no bowling alleys, drive-ins, car washed or super markets.” He said only ‘high class” businesses would be permitted.
Opponents, including several business owners, complained it would “spilt the business district” and isn’t needed. Apartments would be better, some said.
In August 1963, the city council approved the $750,000 project after the planning commission spilt 3-3 on its recommendation.
Montclair East Fought
In October 1963, a group of twelve property owners near the site brought a suit against the City of Oakland.
They charged that a new shopping center was unnecessary, would create traffic problems, and damage residential property values.
James Fernhoff contended that the site is unsuitable for residential development because it was the site of the future interchange of the Warren and Shepherd Canyon(unbuilt) Freeways.
Now Leasing
Groundbreaking
The groundbreaking was held in February of 1965. A gold-plated shovel was used to break the hard old ground.
Construction and Design
Construction for Montclair East, a 1.2 million dollar shopping center, began in May of 1965.
The plans called for a 28,000 square foot building with 20,000 feet on the ground floor devoted to a restaurant and 12 shops and 7,600 feet on the second floor to eight offices. The parking lot would accommodate 111 cars.
The center was designed by Robert B. Liles, an architect from San Francisco.
First Store to Open
Fox’s Market
Jim Fox opened his fourth supermarket located in Montclair East on September 21, 1966.
The new store featuring wall-to-wall carpeting was the first to open at the shopping center. The store occupied 6,000 square feet
Captain Satellite made an appearance at the formal ceremony held the following weekend.
Other Tenants
Today
More Info:
- Death Takes Sidney V. Chown – Oakland Tribune December 3, 1961
- Zoning Row Rages in Montclair – Oakland Tribune August 29, 1963
- Row House Project – Oakland Tribune April 17, 1964
- Montclair East Approved – Oakland Tribune April 30, 1964
- 1.2 Million Center for Montclair- Oakland Tribune May 9, 1965
- Fox Opens Fourth Supermarket – Oakland Tribune September 21, 1966
The End
If I only had a heart…
I could stay young and chipper
And I’d lock it with a zipper
If I only had a heart
If I Only Had A Heart sung by Jack Haley
I know some of you may have noticed that I have slowed down posting here and on Facebook.
I thought I’d let you know my situation.
In Need of a Heart
On May 5th of this year, my husband, my daughters’ dad, had a sudden cardiac arrest at work. He works at the Oakland Airport for Southwest Airlines.
When this happened, he was walking down a hallway going to the break room when he fell to the ground. His co-worker saw him out of the corner of his eye and called 911.
But here’s the good part he just happened to fall outside of a classroom where a CPR class was in session. He became the class! CPR was initiated immediately, and the paramedics were within minutes.
They brought him back to us. Yeah CPR!
He was rushed to Highland Hospital where he was put into a medically induced coma. He came out of it two days later with no memory of the previous days.
Teff was discharged from Highland Hospital on May 13th after having a defibrillator inserted and an ok’d to go back to work on June 1st.
He went back to work on June 4th and did fine, just a little slower than usual. He went back to work on June 7th; he left early because he wasn’t feeling well. I took him to the VA clinic in downtown Oakland, and they determined he needed to be rushed back to the ER at Highland Hospital. He went via an ambulance, and I went via our car.
Long story short, the doctors at Highland (shout out to them) determined that he needed to be transferred to California Pacific Medical Center(CPMC) in San Francisco for them to evaluate him for either a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or a heart transplant.
He was transferred to CPMC on June 11th.
On June 18th, they determined he was a good candidate for a transplant and added him to the UNOS list.
Today, July 4th, he is still in the hospital, attached to many machines waiting for a heart.
My heart is breaking having him so far away from us.
He has been very supportive of me writing this blog and all the research I do for the various groups on Facebook. But the little I do make is not be enough to cover our living expenses, the cost of going back and forth to SF, and the mounting medical bill (our share.)
My daughter set up this is June.
Thank you, everyone, for all the excellent comments you have left or have told me in person about how much you love my blog.
Thank you, Dorothy
More info:
- Defibrillator – Medline Plus
- Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)
- CPMC – Heart Transplant
- CPR Training Kiosk – OAK
The End
Unique Apartments Courts – Bungalow Courts
It has been awhile since I have published a new post. I have been dealing with an major medical issue in my family. It is still ongoing. This is something I put together a while back.
A bungalow court is a group of small bungalows or workers cottages built around a court or central yard. An apartment court is a group of buildings built around or have a central courtyard.
Bungalow Court, a New Apartment Site
In 1921 a new kind of building known as a Bungalow Court opened, the first in Oakland. The building is located at Hill Lane and Euclid Avenue.
Euclid Court consists of ten three-room bungalow apartments, grouped around a central courtyard. Each unit has separate front and back entrances.
Euclid Court was built for Dr. J.L. Hobbs at the cost of $75,000 and was designed by W.E. Schirmer.
- 432-450 Euclid Avenue
- Built 1921
- 10-units
- W.E. Schirmer – Architect
Virginia Court Apartments – Filbert Street
Virginia Court is a colorful Spanish type apartment building, with twelve apartments of two rooms each.
Each unit came with the following:
- Genuine Frigidaire
- Spark gas ranges
- steam heat
- Marshall and Stearns wall-bed
- 1430 Filbert Avenue
- Built 1930
- 12-units
Court Pueblo Apartments – On Foothill Blvd.
The Court Pueblo Apartments opened in February 1930 and is located at 6114 and 6120 Foothill Blvd.
There are twelve units of two or three rooms. Each apartment had the following:
- Genuine Frigidaire
- Spark Gas Range
- Marshall & Stearns Beds
Completely furnished for $45 to $52.50 in 1930
Court Pueblo is Spanish in Style.
- 6114-6120 Foothill Blvd
- Built 1930
- Spanish Style
- 12-units
Apartment Court on Seminary
“The five-room apartments are practically complete homes.”
Oakland Tribune 1928
Apartment Court opened in January 1928 and is located at 1725 and 1729 Seminary Avenue.
It is four buildings of eight apartments, each attractively arranged in a park-like* setting with a central thoroughfare.
No longer a park-like setting
- Four five-room Apartments.
- Twenty-Two two-room Apartments
- Kelvinator Refrigerator
- Spark Ranges
- Murphy Beds
Brookdale Court
Brookdale Court is located at 3760 Brookdale Ave near 38th Ave.
Bungalow Court
Located at 3745 Brookdale Avenue near 38th Avenue. There are 2 and 3 room units available. They rented for $40 and $45 a month in 1928.
“Seville” Spanish-Type Apartments
Reminiscent of the early history of California the Seville was built by Barr and Sons.
“The exterior of lime white stucco in monk finish with wrought iron balconies and, rails, the Spanish court effect with landscaped slopes, broken stepping stones and green shrubbery, the tiles roof of handmade Spanish tiles laid as the early day padres would lay them”
20 apartments of 2,3, and 4 rooms furnished from $57.50 up in 1927.
356 Lester Avenue
More Info:
- Bungalow Court, a New Apartment Site – Oakland Tribune Sept 11, 1921
- “Seville” Spanish-Type Apartments – Oakland Tribune Nov 27, 1927
- Spanish Apartment Court – Oakland Tribune Jan 29, 1928
The End
Joshua Rose
Oakland’s first black city councilman, Joshua Rose, served on the Oakland City Council, representing District 2 from 1965 to 1977.
Early Life
Joshua Richard Rose was born in Lexington, Virginia, on September 11, 1906, to George and Mary (Charles) Rose.
His family relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Joshua attended Schenley High School.
After high school, he enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), where he completed the required credits for a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 1934. He did post-graduate work in economics, philosophy, and psychology at New York University.
YMCA
While at Pitt, he worked at the Hill District Center Avenue YMCA. The Y served as a residence for Black students at Pitt who were not allowed to reside at the university residence halls.
After graduation, Rose accepted a position with the YMCA in Montclair, New Jersey.
In 1939, Rose moved to California with his wife Virginia and their two children, Richard and Virginia, to help establish a branch of the Oakland YMCA for the local African American community.
He helped create what was later known as the Northwest Branch, initially located at 36th and San Pablo but later moved to 3265 Market St. in the early 1940s.
Rose was responsible for introducing summer day camps incorporating arts and crafts with sports and outdoor activities, including an annual trip to Yosemite National Park.
Rose worked throughout his career to provide many Oakland youth with constructive activities and summertime employment through the YMCA’s programs. In 1967, Rose retired as Associate General Secretary of the Metropolitan Branch of the YMCA.
Board of Playground Directors
In 1947, the city council selected Rose as the first African American Board of Playground Directors member, a group that would eventually become the Oakland Recreation Commission.
Rose was a board member for 17 years, including serving as chairman from 1961 to 1962.
Oakland City Councilman
On August 27, 1964, Mayor John Houlihan asked Rose if he would complete Robert V. McKeen’s unexpired term on the Oakland City Council. Rose agreed and became the first African American to sit on the Council.
Rose represented the 2nd District. A Republican, he was re-elected three times in 1965, 1969, and 1973.
“I have a deep interest in Oakland’s future. To secure that future, dedication and sacrifice based on sound academic training and reliable experience are necessary.”
Joshua A. Rose April 1965
He was a respected member of the Council, particularly for his work in easing racial tensions in the city in the late 1960s when the Black Panther Party, founded in Oakland in 1966, challenged the local political establishment.
After sustaining severe injuries in an automobile accident, Rose officially retired from the Council on June 30, 1977.
Death
“Josh was a symbol for us” “A symbol of success.”
Mayor Lionel Wilson Septe 1987
Joshua Rose passed on April 13, 1987, from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.
More Info:
- Staff Members Assumes Duties – The Montclair Times June 18, 1935
- Branch Manager to Assume new Post – The Montclair Times – February 24, 1939
- Activities Among Negroes – Oakland Tribune April 23, 1939
- YMCA Camp Activities – Oakland Tribune January 24, 1943
- Council Fills Two Vacancies – Oakland Tribune July 18, 1947
- First Negro Appointed to City Council – Oakland Tribune August 27, 1964, and page 2
- Oakland Negro A Councilman – SF Examiner August 28, 1964
- Victory in Election – Oakland Tribune April 21, 1965
- Josh Rose T Quite As ‘Y’ Leader – Oakland Tribune February 14, 1967
- Rose to Seek Third Term on Council – Oakland Tribune January 5, 1973
- How Oakland’s System Defeats Black – SF Examiner November 25, 1975
- First Black Member of the Oakland City Council – Obituary – SF Examiner April 16, 1987
- Joshua Rose – Oakland Local Wiki
- Bachelor of Science Degree Earned in the 1930s Awarded Posthumously to Civic Leader – Pittwire
- Joshua Rose (1906-1987) – Blackpast
- The Remarkable Courtship and Marriage of Josh and Virginia Craft Rose – Oakland Library
- Concord author pens book on black trailblazers in Oakland, her parents – East Bay Times May 28, 2019
The End
Maison Normandie – Piedmont Pines
Unique Home Opens
Open to the public (again) in June of 1940, “Maison Normandie” represented France’s famous Normandy style of architecture, both exterior and interior. The house is located on a large corner lot high up in the hills of Oakland.
The large living room with a large window affords a view of the Golden Gate, the bridges, and Treasure Island. Double french doors open onto a large tiled terrace in the rear with a built-in barbecue.
It cost more than $20,000 to build and was advertised at $16,500.
Three bedrooms, two tiled baths, and a maid’s room with a bathroom. The large basement with laundry room and large storage closets. Two doors gave access to both the front and rear of the house, and a short passageway that leads into the two-car garage with a large area suitable as a workshop.
- Maison Normandie
- Le Mon Park – Piedmont Pines
- 1938
- Mitchell & Austin
- Still there
- 6235 Castle Drive
Today
For Sale
1952
$7000 in the wall-to-wall carpet.
Priced at $1,595,000
More Info:
- Maison Normandie Opens – Oakland Tribune June 9, 1940
- The Most Unusual Home – Oakland Tribune Sep 29, 1940
The End
In Le Mon Park – Piedmont Pines
“a thing of beauty and joy forever.”
Robert Mitchell Mitchell & Austin
Coronation House Opens
The “Coronation House,” a display home for Mitchell & Austin, opened on May 2, 1937, in the Le Mon Park section of Piedmont Pines. It is located on Castle Drive. The display home was furnished by Breuner’s with the Coronation theme (King George’s Coronation May 1937.)
“English architectural riches have been transplanted to Piedmont Pines in Coronation House” the ad goes on the say ” Coronation House “fit for a king” in the beautiful Le Mon tract… the crowning achievement of the season”
Oakland Tribune May 2, 1937
“this six-room home with three bedrooms and a bath, with gorgeous living room and un-impaired view, delightful recreation room and kitchen.”
Oakland Tribune May 1937
“the coronation motif is carried out throughout, the crown drapes furnishing a fitting background for pieces following the English provincial motif ”
Oakland Tribune May 1937
Today
- Coronation House
- Early Colonial
- 6301 Castle Drive
- Le Mon Park – Piedmont Pines
- 1937
- Mitchell & Austin Real Estate
- Still there
Fremont House
When General John C. Fremont hiked to a vantage point in the vicinity of Piedmont Pines in time to the setting sun.
“That we shall call the Golden Gate.”
General Fremont – Oakland Tribune Aug 8, 1938
From the windows of Fremont House, you can see the Golden Gate.
- Fremont House
- Castle Drive
- Style – Early California
- Le Mon Park – Piedmont Pines
- 1937
- Mitchell & Austin
- Need Location
“See the world from Piedmont Pines”
Sales Manager Mitchell Austin
Thousands of visitors passed through Fremont House and Coronation House and admired the attractive architecture and the natural advantages of the grounds on which they are located. Sweeping views of the bay, Mount Tamalpais, and both bridges could be seen from the windows of both homes.
Villidor – House of Gold
“Commanding a sweeping panorama of the bay and the hills, it offers magnificent views of sunrises and sunsets.”
Oakland Tribune Jun 20, 1937
Villador, the house of gold, opened to the public in June of 1937.
- Villador
- 6324 Castle Drive
- Le Mon Park – Piedmont Pines
- 1937
- Mitchell & Austin
More Info:
- In Le Mon Park – Oakland Tribune June 27, 1937
- Piedmont Pines Homes Open – Oakland Tribune July 18, 1937
- Fremont Stood Near Home Site- Oakland Tribune Aug 8, 1937
- 6324 Castle Drive – estately.com