Central Terrace – 55th and Foothill

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Dorothy Londagin

It is located where Foothill Blvd meets Trask Street and 55th Avenue. 55th Avenue was formally called Central Avenue, and Foothill Blvd was often referred to as the Scenic Boulevard. Central Terrace also includes Ruth Avenue, Laverne Avenue, El Camille Avenue, and Kingsland Avenue. The area now is considered to be an extension of Maxwell Park or the Fairfax District, depending on who you talk to.

Mutual Realty Co.’s Central Terrace office,
Foothill Boulevard at 55th Avenue and Trask Street looking north
Cheney Photo Adv. Co., photographers. C 1912
Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Brochure for Central Terrace

The Mutual Realty Company put the Central Terrace Subdivision on sale in April of 1912. The agent was Fred T. Wood, who later took over the project. Then they added the Central Terrace Extension and Scenic Park Knoll

Earth Sciences and Map Library,
The University of California, Berkeley -Cadastral map. Historic Maps of Bay Area

“Central Terrace is surrounded by modern schools and educational institutions of the very highest standard, the John C. Fremont high erected at the cost of $140,000, the Melrose School, the W.P. Frick School and the Lockwood Grammar School and the famous Mills Seminary for young ladies, all are within short walking distance from any part of Central Terrace”

See brochure below

Central Terr 1915_side — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

centarl-terrace-brochure-front — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

Foothill Blvd at 55th Avenue
Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912
Previously Sold on eBay

**Laverne from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Ruth Ave from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Ruth Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

More to come –

Oakmore Highland Model Homes

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Breuner-Tribune Home June 1934

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jan_21__1934_ — Oakland Tribune Jun 1934

1774 Liedmet — 1774 Leimert Blvd – Google maps

Display Homes of 1934

New homes at 1746 Leimert, 1808 Leimert and 1816 Leimert – Sept 1934

1746 Leimert, 1808 Leimert and 1816 Leimert

Just a few of the homes in the Oakmore Highlands Neighborhood.

The End

Havenscourt

Posted on August 25, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Wickman Havens Real Estate Company opened Havenscourt in 1912. Within the 170 acres of Havenscourt are 21 miles of streets and sidewalks.¹

The official entrance was at Havenscourt Blvd and East 14th Street, with a pergola and a gazebo. The Havenscourt station and business district were located on Havenscourt Blvd and Bancroft.².

ohrphoto.districts.040 — **Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising – Oakland History Room**

1920Havenscourt Station East 14th St. & Havenscourt Blvd. — **Havenscourt Blvd at Bancroft looking towards Frick School**

Two Schools, 17 Acres Playground, a Civic Center, and a train station

**67th Avenue between Arthur St and Avenal Ave**

Then and Now – Above and Below

HAVENSCOURT-BUNGALOWS-66th-AVENUE-1912 — **Looking south on 66th Street from Arthur St**

HAVENSCOURT-HOMES-65th-AVE-ARTHUR-ST-VIEW-OAKLAND-1914- — Looking south on 65th Ave from Arthur St

All photos were taken by Cheney Photo Advertising Company and are from Oakland History Room or OMCA.

The End

Updated Dec 16, 2019

Oakmore Highlands

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Rolling Hills of Oakmore circa 1920’s – Oakland History Room

Natural beauty abounds in the 150 acres of wooded, rolling hills that comprise the Oakmore District or Oakmore Highlands. The Walter H. Leimert Company laid out the subdivision with wide streets and ample sidewalks. See Oakmore Highland History

The Leimert Bridge was designed in 1926, by George A. Posey, to safely accommodate vehicle traffic, Park Boulevard Streetcars, and pedestrians.

The Leimert Bridge during construction and in 1926, Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

The original subdivision was bordered by Sausal Creek and Dimond Canyon. During the initial sales period, sound design was promoted through a model open house program called the ‘Oakmore Home Ideal’ where buyers could visit a custom home designed by local architects Miller & Warnecke.

Later, in 1934, The Leimert Company teamed with the Oakland Tribune and Breuner’s Furniture Company to furnish a demonstration model home that drew 8,000 visitors in three weeks.

Oakland Tribune June 28, 1934

The following year another Breuner’s furnished house was nicknamed “Golden Windows” to highlight the extensive use of glass on the view side of the home and the commanding views from the subdivision.

Oakland Tribune August 1934

Real Estate Developer: Walter H. Leimert Company
Contractors: Park Boulevard Company
Property Managers: Mitchell & Austin
150 Acres, 4 tracts 440 lots
Sales began in October 1926

Photos

Aerial view of upper Dimond Canyon and surrounding, still mostly undeveloped, neighborhoods, Leimert Bridge visible in the foreground. – 1926-1936 Oakland History Room

Aerial view of Dimond Canyon – 1926-1936 – Oakland History Room

Various Articles

Oakland Tribune Jan 05, 1927

College Pines

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

ohrphoto.districts.109 — Broadway Terrace @ Ostrander St. Photo from Oakland History Room.

College Pines is located at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Harbord Drive location(formally Edith), just past the Claremont Country Club. The name of College Pines was chosen because of the close proximity to the College of the Sisters of Holy Names, a new High School.

The sales office was located at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Ostrander Road, as seen above.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jun_12__1932_ — Oakland Tribune June 12, 1932

Below are pictures of Broadway Terrace and Chetwoood and Broadway Terrace, and Harbord Drive. They were taken in 1933 and are from the Oakland Public Library History Room.

ohrphoto.districts.111 — Harbord Drive and Broadway Terrace in 1933 – Oakland History Room Photo

ohrphoto.districts.110 — Broadway Terrace and Clarewood Drive in 1933 – Oakland History Room photo

The homesites front on along Harbord Drive for about a half-mile or more. The lots were priced at $27.00 per foot. A forty-foot lot would cost $1075.00, with a low down payment and easy terms. Sold by the Claremont Pines Corporation and later Michell & Austin.

Oakland Tribune June 1932

Holy Names Central High School was built on Harbord Drive and opened in 1934.

Display Homes

In December of 1933, the first display home opened at 4339 Harbord Drive. The house had eight rooms with two baths and a 14 x 32-foot rumpus room, and

“pleasing features galore.”
Oakland Tribune Dec 1933

The house was priced at $6850 and was recently sold in 2016 for $1,360,000.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Dec_31__1933_ (2) — Oakland Tribune Dec 1933

In September of 1934, another display home was opened at 4347 Harbord Drive. The green and white wood and brick cottage and two bedrooms and a den or nursery, and a large playroom. The house was priced at $6500, with just a $75 down payment and $75 a month. The home recently sold for $825,000 in 2012.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Sep_30__1934_ (1) — Oakland Tribune Sept 1934

Misc. ads for homes

Update:

The stone pillar is still there at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Ostrander Street.

**Broadway Terrace and Ostrander St 2018 – Photo from Google Maps**

The End

The First Bus Lines in Oakland

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

New Service to Montclair — **From Ac Transit Time Sept 1961**

In May 1921, The Key System began operating a motorcoach service. The first line opened to Mills College on May 16, 1921; a week later, on May 21, service to Montclair began.

**Montclair Coach –** **AC Tranist Photo**

The Realty Syndicate purchased and paid the bills for the motor coaches to provide transportation for potential customers to Montclair. The coaches were painted to match the streetcars.

There is a little dispute about which line was first, the Montclair or the Mills College lines. I think it’s a tie – they both started in May 1921.

The first tract office was a tent; later, it became a small building. The tract office was then moved to the triangle land at Mountain Blvd, Antioch St, and Antioch Ct. The building later became the offices of Winder Gahan, real estate agents dealing with Montclair. The photo shows that the original site was on the opposite side of Moraga Rd (at LaSalle), now in the middle of the Warren Freeway (Hwy 13).

The Schedule

During the commuting hours, 6 am-9 am and 5 to 7 pm every 20 minutes. During the remainder of the day, a 40-minute service. The fare was 6¢ with transfer privileges to streetcars. In 1924 they offered a service to run until midnight. Before this, bus transportation had been confined to the out-of-town service along the highway.

New Terminal – October 1928

In 1928 a new $18,000 Terminal was built in Montclair. It was located at the corner of Mountain Blvd and La Salle, a short walk to the Sacramento Northern station. Local architect Hamilton Murdock designed the Spanish Style building, the first building structure in Montclair. An Architectural Guide – Pg. 276

The building is still standing and is located at 6206 La Salle Ave.

A Reunion

In September 1961, a forty-year-old photo led a reunion between two former drivers who pioneered local motorcoach service in the East Bay.

J.L. “Marty” Martin started working in May 1921, and C.E. Pehrson began in September of that same year. They met in Montclair at the approximate site of the first terminal and discussed new verses or coaches and how much things had changed.

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

Historical Photo of Early Bus Found Transit Times April 1975
Reunion of early drivers Transit Times September 1961
More on A.C. Transit – Transit Times September 1963

The End

Montclair Display Homes

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Narragansett House

Narragansett House is a New England Colonial-style home in the Montclair Highlands Section on Balboa Drive, built as a model home in 1937.

The home opened in February 1937; by the end of the first week, 3500 toured the house, and by the end of April 1937, over 25,000 had visited the home.

Narragansett House
Montclair Highlands
New England Colonial style
Emge and Stockman – Developer
Earl R McDonald – Architect
HC Capwell’s – Decorator
Opened February 1937
5546 Balboa Drive

Tomorrow’s Home Today

Tomorrow’s Home Today was the first Oakland Home constructed under the Precision Built system, and it opened in December 1939. It is located at the corner lot at Balboa and Colton Blvd in Montclair Highlands, with a sweeping view of the San Francisco Bay.

The home was sold by Montclair Realty Co.

“The walls and ceilings were built with Homasote, the oldest and strongest insulating and building board on the market. The walls were prefabricated by the Precision-Built process in the shop of a local mill under standards of exacting accuracy, which ensure tight joints, freedom from sagging, and permanently crack-proof walls and ceilings”. Oakland Tribune Jan 21, 1940

Tomorrow’s Home Today
Montclair Highlands
Montclair Realty
John Wagenet – Architect
Mac Jordon – Builder
Arthur Cobbledick – Landscaper
Opened December 1939
5500 Balboa Drive –

The End

Merriewood

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Merriewood is a section or neighborhood of the Montclair District of Oakland. The Realty Syndicate was the exclusive agent selling the tract. It first went on sale in 1924.

gs07xdloz5rdi2zn — Oakland Tribune Yearbook 1926

Oakland Tribune stated that:

no other tract in Oakland can offer such a “combination of a magnificent view and comfortable home” The ad went on to say, “it is so pleasant and healthful with trees all around and birds singing away –Great for youngsters” October 1925

Lots in Merriewood were selling for as little as $1750 and as much as $2450 for a completely finished home. $30 a month with interest.

What your money bought in the 1920s:

Large lot wooded and clear
Well built roomy house
Variety of floor plans
Gas, lights, water, paved streets
Fast local and San Francisco transportation

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.

Street Names

In Merriewood, there is a group of streets named for the signs of the Zodiac. The streets are Aquarius Way, Capricorn Ave, Leo Way, Taurus Ave, Uranus Ave, and Virgo Rd. There are small cluster streets named in honor of Robin Hood. They are Nottingham Dr., Robin Hood Way, and Sherwood Dr. Street Names Oakland Local Wiki

Various Clippings from the Oakland Tribune

From the Oakland Tribune 1924

First Model Home

The first model home was located on Thornhill Drive and Grisborne Ave. The address was 5815 Thorn Road (now Thornhill Drive). It served as the model home and tract office for Merriewood. Later it was the offices of Phil Hearty, who sold real estate in Montclair for years, he also was involved in the development of many tracts in Oakland.

It is now the home of Montclair Community Play Center, which has served Oakland since 1933. Montclair Community Play Center

Model Home 5815 Thorn Road Oakland Tribune Sep-Oct 1924

Various Homes in Merriewood Oakland Tribune 1924-1927

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

The End

Montclair Highlands – Top of the World

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925

Montclair Highlands was one of the earlier subdivisions in Montclair. Located in the hills back of Piedmont and just above Montclair’s Business district or the “Townsite” as locals called it in 1925.

“Montclair Business Center, as the name indicates, is the tract opened as a community trading district.” Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925

“Montclair Highlands is separated by the Business Center from the original Montclair” (more on that later). Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925

Montclair Highlands fronts out overlooking the bay and beyond.

“It is said that the elevation of Montclair highlands affords a view which surpasses anything from any other point in Oakland.” Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925

Montclair Highlands is soon called the “Top of the World.”

“The beautiful panorama afforded from the “Top of the World” is available to you all today – to be framed permanently by the windows of the home, you will build” C P Murdock Vice President of the Realty Syndicate – Oakland Tribune May 31, 1925.

“Skyline Blvd, which runs through Montclair Highlands has for years been the great scenic drive of the Eastbay.” Oakland Tribune Tribune May 31, 1925

Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925

Oakland Tribune May 1925

Oakland Tribune May 31, 1925

Oakland Tribune June 7, 1925

Oakland Tribune June 14, 1925

Coming soon:

Observation Tower – Top of the World
The Model Homes of Montclair Highlands
Bus Service to Montclair Highlands

Casa Altadena

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Dorothy Londagin

In Smith Reserve

“Atop one of the knolls, commanding full advantage of the ever-changing vistas, is Casa Altadena, the distinctive exhibition home of Realty Syndicate. Company”
SF Examiner February 11, 1928

Casa Altadena is of Spanish architecture. It occupies a knoll overlooking beautiful wooded vistas and canyons on one side and a panorama of the bay on the other.

Opening Day

Over 500 people attended the opening on January 29, 1929.

Casa Altadena reflects the discerning taste of its decorators, who sought to incorporate the romance of the Peraltas into its furnishings.

**One of the rooms in Casa Altadena – Oakland Tribune January 29, 1928**

Details include its tiled roof, arched doorways, decorative tiles, wood trims, antique wall sconces, and decorative wrought-iron work.

Casa Altadena Today

Casa Altadena
Smith Reserve (Piedmont Pines)
Open January 29, 1928
Spanish design
Realty Syndicate
Still there
6401 Chelton Drive

Location on Google Maps

More Info:

House Looks Over Vista of Bay and Hills – SF Examiner February 11, 1928

Updated July 17, 2020

Brochure for Central Terrace

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Breuner-Tribune Home June 1934

Display Homes of 1934

The End

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Then and Now – Above and Below

Links:

The End

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The Leimert Bridge during construction and in 1926, Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

Photos

Various Articles

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Display Homes

Misc. ads for homes

Update:

The End

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The Schedule

New Terminal – October 1928

A Reunion

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

The End

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Narragansett House

Tomorrow’s Home Today

The End

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What your money bought in the 1920s:

Public Stairways

Street Names

From the Oakland Tribune 1924

First Model Home

Model Home 5815 Thorn Road Oakland Tribune Sep-Oct 1924

Various Homes in Merriewood Oakland Tribune 1924-1927

The End

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In Smith Reserve

Opening Day

Casa Altadena Today

More Info:

The End

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