Fountain of Serenity in Knowland State Arboretum and Park. “Serena,” the statue which tops the fountain, inspires calm and courage in the face of worldly troubles. Oakland Tribune
Latham sold the home to Horace H. Seaton in 1885, who sold it, S. Murray, in 1892, who then sold it to Edward G. Lukens in 1897. Lukens, son, was state Senator George R. Lukens.
In its heyday, the old mansion was a showplace. The home was a three-story structure with 25 rooms, a billiard room, a glass conservatory, and a bowling alley in the rear. There was also an ornate two-story barn with a hayloft and with horse stalls.
The Lukens family lived there until the death of Mrs. Emma Lukens in 1925.
Sometime after the death of Mrs. Lukens, the mansion was purchased by Edger L. Buttner, a civic leader, and electrical contractor.
Oakland Tribune Jan 22, 1928
Barn/Livery Stable
In about 1938, Raoul Pause, a leading Oakland ballet teacher, converted part of the old two-story barn into a ballet studio. Many of the Oakland Ballet’s first dancers were students of Raoul Pause., he was the brother of Paul Pause of Montclair Reality.
In October of 1948, the building was damaged in a fire.
In 1952 the same building was destroyed by another fire. At the time of the fire, the building was being used by the Hotel Senator (a boarding house) as a garage.
In 1957 the mansion was demolished to make room for an apartment complex.
The Fountain Today
TheLatham-Ducel Fountain is the centerpiece of Preservation Park. It’s more popularly known as the Diana Fountain. The fountain is cast iron and was forged in Paris in the 1870s.
My question is that Serena or Diana on the top of the fountain?
TheLatham Square Fountain is located at the intersection of Telegraph and Broadway in downtown Oakland. It was erected in 1913 as a memorial for James H. Latham and Henrietta Latham by their children and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
1857 – 1888: Ellis A Haines purchased the property from the Peralta’s
In 1888, Frederick C. Talbot of the San Francisco lumber firm Pope & Talbot purchased 133 acres from Ellis A. Haines in Elmhurst near San Leandro and adjacent to the Souther Farm (now the Dunsmuir Home) for $15,000.
The total acreage seems to change depending on who wrote it or what you read. Above, you will see that one clipping has the entire area as “133 acres “and, in the other, it as “153 acres.” It has been as high as 453 acres. I have always understood it to be the same land as the Oakland Zoo and Knowland Park, but who knows?
Edenvale
Nestled in the hills surrounded by the choicest fruits and flowers, “Edenvale,“ as the name suggests, is a veritable paradise.
The estate comprised 140 acres (different acreage) of fertile land for farming and orchards. Sixty acres were planted with almonds, cherries, oranges, walnuts, lemons, prunes, apricots, peaches, and olives, and eighty acres were chosen farming land.
In the picture below, you can see the caretaker’s home in the back (the taller one). This house is still standing today as part of the Oakland Zoo.
The garden had rare trees, exotic plants, and lighted pathways. It also had a large pond with a bridge, large enough for a small rowboat.
The main house was a modern, elegant colonial structure with twelve rooms, four baths, running water, and gas.
There was a large modern stable, a greenhouse, and servants’ quarters. There was a home for the caretaker, which is still standing today. A brooder for chickens and a pen for pigs. Oakland Tribune March 22, 1902
Barn Burns –
Talbot Farm for Sale
Meanwhile
R.C. “Cliff” Durant Purchases Estate
Durant purchased the Talbot estate “Edenvale.” The estate, which consisted of 470 acres (different acreage), sold for $200,000.
The above says “478-acres” and below says “200-acres”.
Fire Destroys The Mansion
The fire broke out on December 19, 1921, on the third floor near the roof. Durant was outside then and alerted the servants and employees, who formed a fire brigade.
Strong winds fanned the fire, and it quickly spread throughout the mansion.
A squad of police out of the central division carried furniture and valuables from the burning mansion. They then turned their efforts to stop the fire from spreading to the basement, saving a valuable collection of wines and liquors.
The Estate Becomes A Park
In 1929, the city of Oakland council voted to purchase the former country estate of the late F.C. Talbot from the Park Commission. The 350 acres ( different acreage) would cost the city approximately $662,000. That deal fell through, and the whole story is confusing. Durant Park opened to the public in 1932.
In 1935, Sidney Snow took possession of the 475-acre Durant Park (different acreage)and started building the zoo. He ran it with some help from the city of Oakland. – From A History as Told by the Founder’s Daughter”
In 1937, Durant Park was called the Zoological Gardens and Arboretumof Metropolitan Oakland.
Durant Park Press Photo 1937
Durant Park Press Photo 1937 – Is this the same bridge that the Talbot’s had over their pond?
Oakland Tribune May 22, 1950
In 1950, Durant Park was dedicated as the “East Bay State Park” under the California park system. A dedication speech noted that many trees and plants from F.C. Talbot’s estate were included in the Historical Arboretum,a separate park from the Oakland Zoo.
Oakland Tribune December 29, 1957 The row of Canary Island Palms
A row of mature Canary Island Date Palms marks the part entry. Stately Mexican Fan Palms, Chilean Palms, and exotic Bunya Bunya trees from Australia dot the formal meadows of the existing picnic grounds. These Arboretum specimens were planted at the turn of the last century (I bet before that) as part of the Talbot Estate grounds. There is also a collection of 8 species of palms, native and exotic oaks, redwoods, and many other specimens from North Africa, the Himalayas, Chile, and the Canary Islands. – From the Zoo Master Plan 1996
In 1962, a fire destroyed the building home to Effie, the elephant, until 1959. The building, built in 1890, was part of the Talbot Estate. It had been marked unsafe.
On the map below, the sizeable red square shows where most of the estate was. The smaller green box shows the location of the caretaker home that was part of the Talbot Estate. When Sidney Snow ran the zoo, he and his family lived there. Now, it is used by zoo employees.
The meadow by the main gate still has some of the trees planted by Talbot over 100 years ago, and they are part of the Knowland State Arboretum and Park today.
From the Zoo Master Plan 1996
Sidney Snow’s Home
Circa 1939
Google Map 2019 showing the caretakers home still standing in Knowland Park
A couple of things:
I am working on getting copies of the actual photos instead of copies from a report.
I am also checking on the Knowland State Arboretum and Park. Does it still exist?
I know they allow parking (on crowded days) in the meadow, where some historic trees still stand.