I previously wrote about Merriewood in 2019. Many of the images on that post were lost when I transferred my blog to a different hosting site. So this is a new and improved post. I’m reviewing my posts one by one to address any issues.
Merriewood lies on the west side of Thornhill Drive, from Merriewood to Broadway Terrace. It includes some of Florence Terrace and Capricorn Avenue on one side and Valley View Road on the other.
Merriwood lies just back of Piedmont looking upon the magnificant scene of the city and the bay.” Oakland Tribune Sept 12, 1924
The Realty Syndicate Company announced that the Merriewood Tract (Montclair District) would go on sale on Sunday, September 14, 1924. There were 100 lots available. $10 would hold one for a potential buyer. Within the first week, six houses were started.
A $10 deposit would hold any lot in the tract on the opening day.
Oakland Post Enquire September 13, 1924
The Realty Syndicate had sold thousands of lots in Oakland before offering up Merriewood. They knew the challenge that most buyers faced after purchasing a lot was “How to Build.” They offered an unprecedented opportunity in Merriewood.
Oakland Tribune August 9, 1925
If the buyer wanted the house built for him, the Realty Syndicate would handle the construction, with labor costs included.
Oakland Tribune, September 12, 1925
The Merriewood tract is about 100 acres in the Oakland Hills, at elevations ranging from 500 to 1300 feet. One advantage that made Merriewood so attractive was its proximity to transportation; it was only 15 minutes to downtown and 50 minutes to San Francisco. The bus lines had recently been extended in Montclair.
To get to Merriewood (Sundays only), visitors could catch a free bus to Merriewood at the 40th and Piedmont Avenue station.
A highly admired feature of Merriwood was the remarkable marine panorama of San Francisco Bay.
Sunday you can take the step that means freedom,independence, and home ownership” Oakland Tribune Sept 12, 1924
The opening drew hundreds of people on that opening day. Within 48 hours, six houses were started.
Oakland Tribune 1926
a drive through Merriewood is all that is needed to convince one of its many advantages as a place of family residience,” C.P. Murdock – Realty Syndicate.
Oakland Tribune April 4, 1926
Healthy Climate and New Community
The hills of Merriewood were (and still are) thickly wooded with oaks, pines, and redwoods. The full force of the sun’s rays shone through the trees, resulting in a moderate, even climate.
Oakland Tribune, April 15, 1926
“The natural beauty of the tract, its pines and oaks covering the slopes, and attractive hidden away beneath the trees.” C.P. Murdock Feb 1926
Oakland Tribune 1924
Oakland Tribune, September 24, 1924
More Units
Oakland Post Enquirer March 12, 1927
By the end of September 1924, a second unit of Merriewood was on sale and included many of the level-view lots in the tract.
The same proposition of providing all the materials for a three-room house was carried over to this unit.
You never saw anything develop as fast as Merriewood. Houses going up all over the two units of the tract already sold. Oakland Tribune Oct 17, 1924
Unit No. 3 was on sale by the end of October 1924. The price of a house was as low as $ 1,975, built by the builder.
80 cozy homes were in various forms of construction by May 1925
The Realty Syndicate announced in December 1925 that Merriewood was one of the company’s most successful subdivisions since opening in 1924. They also announced the opening of the sixth unit and that 130 homes were now complete.
The experience of building homes in the earlier units of Merriewood enabled the Realty Syndicate to identify ways to reduce costs in materials and labor. The sixth unit, with no additional costs to the buyers, included built-in kitchen features and a complete bathroom with a tub and sink.
Oakland Post Enquirer April 24, 1926
Nearly 150 homes were nearing completion, the Realty Syndicate reported in March 1926.
Oakland Tribune, March 21, 1926
A Growing Community
Oakland Post Enquirer January 9, 1926
In early 1926, Montclair was also changing to keep pace with the new homes. The residents of the area built a new clubhouse, the Montclair Community Center. The clubhouse later became the home of the Montclair Women’s Club.
Oakland Tribune 1925
Home life is never complete until facilities of the community are adequate to the standards of the home.” Oakland Tribune Feb 13, 1926
A school was being built down the street from the clubhouse.
Oakland Tribune February 17, 1926
In 1927, the Thorn Road Bible School opened up on Thornhill, on the site of the present-day Montclair Presbyterian Church.
The first store in Montclair opened in 1925, and the building remains behind the present-day 7-Eleven on Thornhill.
Tract Office and Model Home
Oakland Post Enquirer, September 25, 1925
To help sell the plan, the Realty Syndicate built a demonstration model home using the same materials the buyer would receive. The material was enough to make a 3-room house.
Showing the corner of Grisborne and Thornhill, Oakland Post Enquirer, October 24, 1924
One of the model homes was located on Thornhill Drive and Grisborne Avenue. The address was 5815 Thorn Road (now Thornhill Drive). It served as the model home and tract office for Merriewood.
The Tract Office at 5815 Thornhill Drive,SF Call Bulletin October 11, 1924
Tract Office 5815 Thornhill Drive
Later, it was the offices of Phil Hearty, who sold real estate in Montclair for years and was also involved in the development of many tracts in Oakland.
“Many of the old houses on Merriewood Drive were built as vacation cabins, and several retain their original clapboard siding: 5574 (1924), 5826 (1925), 5844 (1925), 5857 (1925), and 5876 (1926)”. An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area
5826 Merriewood Drive5857 Merriewood Drive
5876 Merriwood Drive
Street Names
Merriewood has two sets of unique street names. The first is named after the signs of the zodiac: Aquarius Way, Capricorn Avenue, Leo Way, Taurus Avenue, Uranus Avenue, and Virgo Road—the other one honors Robin Hood, with Nottingham Drive, Robin Hood Way, and Sherwood Drive. I grew up on Capricorn Avenue.
Public Stairways
The Merriewood Stairs are divided into two sections: the Lower Merriewood Stairs (from Thornhill Drive to Marden Lane to Merriewood) and the Upper Merriewood Stairs (from Merriewood Drive to Valley View Road to Merriewood again). Merriewood Stairs _ Oakland Local Wiki.
In the first 36 years, the school changed location five times and gone by eight different names.
A Bit of History
In January 1915, McClymonds High School started in a small building formerly occupied by Oakland Technical High School at 12th and Market with sixty students. Originally called the Vocational High School and was the first public school in California to offer vocational training.
J.W. McClymonds directly inspired the organization of the school, superintendent of the Oakland Schools between 1889-1913 (Oakland Tribune Mar 09, 1924), and the name was changed to McClymonds Vocational School.
In 1924 the school was moved to a new building at 26th and Myrtle, and its name was changed to J.W. McClymonds High School.
It became just plain McClymonds High in 1927. The building was condemned in 1933, and classes were moved to Durant School.
In 1936 McClymonds High School and Lowell Junior High School were merged to form a new high school on Lowell Site at 14th and Myrtle Streets. McClymonds High thereby became a four-year high school.
In 1938 the name changed from J.W. McClymonds to Lowell-McClymonds, then in July of the year to McClymonds-Lowell High School.
Finally, in September 1938, they moved back to the old site at 26th and Myrtle Streets after the buildings were reconstructed at the cost of $330,000. The alumni won out, and once again it was McClymonds High School as it is today.
Dedication
The new high school occupying the entire block at 26th and Myrtle Streets, erected at the cost of $660,000 was dedicated in March of 1924.
The school was named in honor of J.W McClymonds, who had died two years earlier. The ceremony was held on Mar 09, 1924.
Oakland Tribune 1924
McClymonds High School was completed in 1924 as a part of the school building program of 1919. The new building contained 35 classrooms, 11 shops, administrative offices, storerooms, science, millinery, and art rooms and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1000. There were shops for forge work, auto repair, machine work, pattern making, woodworking, electrical engineering, and printing. The machinery in the shops costs several thousands of dollars.
Mcclymonds High School – undated Oakland History Room
Millinery Courses
The milliner’s art “so dear to the hearts of the fair sex” was introduced as a course for girls in schools of Oakland. Mcclymonds had a shop with machinery for fabricating and molding the millinery.
“The girls are virtually flocking to the new course, which teaches the latest in chic, feminine headgear.”
In 1954 a new three-story reinforced concrete structure was dedicated.
The structure designed for 1200 students and contains 42 classrooms, an auditorium, cafeteria, and library. Corlett and Anderson of Oakland were the architects.
The auditorium is in the two-story south wing and classes in the three-story building.
A class of 75 students was the first to graduate from the new McClymonds High in 1954.
New Gym
The Old Gymnasium – 1928
In 1953 the old gym was condemned as an earthquake hazard and wasn’t replaced until 1957.
The new Gymnasium 1956
The new gym was the first Oakland school building to be built with tilt-up wall construction in which concrete wall sections are poured flat on the ground then raised into place.
Folding bleachers will seat 875 spectators. A folding partition will divide the main gymnasium into boys and girls for physical education classes.
The building also included an exercise room, shower and locker rooms, first-aid rooms, instructor’s office, and storage areas. Ira Beals designed it at the cost of $427,000.
McClymonds Field Dedicated – 1960
Oakland Tribune 1963
The new $625,095 track and field facilities was touted as one of the finest in the East Bay when the it was dedication ceremony was held.
The new tennis courts adjacent to the gym were dedicated to the memory of Earl M. Swisher, a former teacher, and tennis coach.
The Field Today – google maps
In 1964 three McCLymonds High School seniors drowned in the icy waters of Strawberry Lake in Tuolumne County.
Oakland Tribune 1964
The victims were:
Gloria Curry – Age 17
Carolyn Simril – Age 17
Melvin Lee Moore – Age 16
The trip was for the about 150 students called “honor citizens” because of outstanding community and school service.
Pinecrest Lake 1964
Most of the students were on the ski slopes, and sled runs at Dodge Ridge. Between 15 and 20 of them were on the frozen lake when the ice gave away.
The students said there were no signs on the lake warning of thin or rotten ice.
A heroic rescue by three boys and two men saved the lives of at least ten students when the ice broke about 150 yards from the shore.
Carolyn Simril died while trying to pull somebody out and fell in herself.
Feb 1965
A large crowd waited in front of Mcclymonds High for the three buses to return. They knew that three students had drowned, but they didn’t know who they were.
Photo by Joanne Leonard circa 1964 Gift of the artist in honor of Therese Thau Heyman 2003.139.35
McClymonds Today
McClymonds High School is a highly valued icon of the West Oakland community as it is the only full-sized OUSD High School in the region. It is located near the intersection of Market Street & San Pablo Avenue in the Clawson neighborhood, which contains a mix of residential and commercial development with a handful of industrial yards
The school is located at 2607 Myrtle Street Oakland, CA 94607
In 1924 brothers Paul and Herman Pause formed Montclair Realty Co. Before that, Paul worked for the Realty Syndicate.
Oakland Tribune Apr 01, 1928
Paul and Herman Pause
The business district of Montclair looked like this when Montclair Realty was formed.
Graded and staked lots in the undeveloped Montclair district’s downtown in Oakland, California Eston Cheney, photographer. from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room. Circa 1925
Cos. Williams, a builder, was the only other business then.
Sales offices of real estate broker and home builder Cos Williams in the undeveloped Montclair district’s downtown in Oakland, California. Graded and staked lots are visible in the foreground. DATE: [circa 1925] from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.
In 1932 they moved into their new offices at6466 Moraga Avenue. The building was occupied by George B. Brooks, another real estate agent. The building is still there.
Oakland Tribune Sept 18, 1932
6466 Moraga Avenue – 2019
Montclair Highlands
“In All the World No View Like his”
Oakland Tribune 1928
Oakland Tribune Mar 4, 1928
In 1928 Montclair Realty was the developer and selling agent for a new tract behind the business district. One of the first homes was the “Model View Home,” built-in 1928.
Oakland Tribune May 6, 1928
10th Anniversary
In 1934 Montclair Realty celebrated its 10th Anniversary. During this time, they specialized in developing the rapidly growing hill area. Some tracts they worked on were Montclair Highlands, Montclair Acres, Montclair Estates, and Fernwood.
That year they opened Piedmont Uplands, a new tract along Moraga Avenue at Maxwelton Road. The Henry Maxwell family owned the land and ran a Maxwelton Farm dairy. Before that, it was the picnic grounds of Blair Park.
13th Anniversary
Oakland Tribune 1937
Montclair Realty celebrated its thirteenth Anniversary by moving into spacious new offices in Montclair Realty Building on Moraga Avenue. Harvey Slocombe designed the new two-story building in an authentic Spanish style, complete with a patio and tile roof. Howard Gilkey developed the garden.
New Montclair Realty Office – Oakland Tribune 1937
The unusual feature of the new building was the penthouse display home on the second floor. The living room – reception room had a Homebuilder’s Library, where prospective home builders can look through all the latest books and magazines on home building.
Dramatically different the Pent House Model home brings to you “Ideas of 1938” in colorful interior finishes and modern furnishings.
Oakland Tribune 1937
Silver Anniversary – 1949
Paul Pause was a founding member of the Montclair Improvement Club. He was a member of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce residential committee and its highway and transportation committee. He was also a member of the Commonwealth Club.
Death and New Owners
Paul Pause died in 1950. He was an important figure in the development of Montclair since the beginning.
Oakland Tribune 1950
Lucille Chasnoff purchased the company after Pause died in 1950. and John Mallett purchased the company from her in 1962.
Oakland Tribune Sept 1962
New Office in 1954-56
Oakland Tribune Jun 29, 1956
In 1954 they moved into the newly built Montclair Professional Building at 2084 Mountain Blvd. The Montclair Realty offices were on the ground floor; they owned the building.
The Montclarion 1956
It was the only office building that had off-street parking. The offices featured gold walls with charcoal woodwork with built-in desks and partitions.
The Montclarion 1956
Out with the Old
The old Montclair Realty building was demolished in 1961 to make room for expanding the Standard Station next door.
The Montclarion
The Montclarion 1961
In 2019 a new building replaced the old and outdated Montclair Realty Office Building.
2084 Mountain Blvd in 2019The Back of 2084 Moutain in 2019
Subdivision of Montclair – the area above Thornhill at Woodhaven and Oakwood Drive, and up to Snake and Colton Blvd. The Forest Park Pool (now Montclair Swim Club) was included with the tract.
Updated Apil 2026
“Wickham Havens, Inc., to Sell Fine Scenic Property on the Highlands Northeast of Beautiful Piedmont” – Oakland Tribune, May 11, 1924
Oakland Tribune May 11, 1924
A residential park that has been “twenty years in the making” is how they described Forest Park when it first opened in May 1924. Frank C. Havens undertook the task of transforming the barren hills into timbered homesites in the early 1900s. He sent his planters up to the canyons, slopes, and ridges and planted young pine, cypress, and eucalyptus. His son Wickham is in charge of selling Forest Park.
Oakland Tribune May 11, 1924
Forest Park consisted of about 750 acres (600 in some articles) of wooded slopes, stretching up to Skyline Blvd. The first unit was about 75 acres and was sold by September 1925, with another 60 acres ready to be put on the market.
Large, roomy lots sold for as low as $575.
Transportation
Oakland Tribune, May 25, 1924
Starting June 1, 1924, the Key System announced a new schedule.
The Montclair bus, which connects to San Francisco trains and local streetcars at 40th and Piedmont, will now run until midnight.
May 24, 1924
A Center of Activity
Oakland Tribune 1924
Big wooded lots some with a view of the bay were selling at a few hundred dollars each. “Investment in Forest Park today means rich profits in the future” – Come out and see the $10,000 pool being built for the residents – Oakland Tribune June 1924.
In Scenic Forest Park
Oakland Tribune June 15, 1924
Elmer F. Morrill lived down the road by Harbord Drive and Moraga since the Late 1880s.
Elmer Morrill wrote a series of articles or ads like this about buying and living in Forest Park.
Oakland Post Enquirer July 2, 1924
Swimming Pool Added
A new $10,000 pool was added for Forest Park residents.
To add to the charm of Forest Park, an open-air swimming pool was added.
They took advantage of the creek running through the property, using a pump to add water to the pool. Thereby assuring plenty of fresh water in the pool.
The pool was divided to provide a shallow pool and an eight-foot depth for diving and swimming. The water was constantly changing in motion. Bath houses and dressing rooms were provided for attractiveness. The pool was reserved for Forest Park residents.
“for the children’s sake” Oakland Tribune May 17, 1924″
For the health and happiness of the children, choose Forest Park as your home. Trees! Sunshine! The invigorating air of the hills! Ferns! Flowers! “You’ll be surprised at what a truly beautiful home park it is.” Oakland Tribune
Hollywood Invests in Forest Park
Mildred Harris, formerly Mrs. Charlie Chaplin, was one of the buyers in Forest Park, according to the Oakland Tribune. I don’t think she ever lived there.
Photos of Forest Park
The corner of Woodhaven Way and Indian Way Cheney Photo Advertising 1925 https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Present Day Google Maps
Woodhaven Way looking towards the corner of Indian Way Photo by Cheney Advertising 1927 https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Woodhaven Way looking towards the corner of Indian Way Present Day – Google Maps
From 7000 Thornhill Drive, looking east Cheney Photo Advertising 1925 https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
San Francisco Bay – Forest Park with Oakwood Drive and Thornhill Cheney Photo Advertising c 1927 https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
San Francisco Bay – from Skyline Cheney Photo Advertising c 1927 https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
