East of Piedmont

“New Residential Section East of Piedmont

SF Examiner Nov 13, 1920

The Oakland Real Estate Board held a contest to name the new residential district along Moraga Road in the hills behind Piedmont. The syndicate owned the area comprising 2500 acres of residential land and a business section. The prize for the best name was $50.00.

Oakland Tribune 1919

“The one condition was they had to describe what they saw in the district to suggest the name they submitted.

Montclair was the winner.

Montclair Subdivsions

Oakland Tribune Aug 22, 1922

Development of the hill section was first envisioned in the early 1900s when the Realty Syndicate Company purchased the Dingee and Medau properties.

SF EXAMINER JUL 10, 1901

The first unit would open in 1920, extending across Moraga Avenue from the present business district up and over to the Piedmont border. They called this unit Montclair Acres, and the great demand for lots resulted in the opening of Montclair Estates in 1921.

SF Examiner Nov 2, 1920

The wisdom in buying a homesite in Montclair Estates is bulwarked by ever increasing joy of ownership.”

Oakland Tribune Oct 22, 1922
SF Chronicle Sep 24, 1921

Streets for the two units were named after famous WWI generals such as Pershing, Dawes, McAndrew, Liggett, Bullard, and Harbord. 

They both offered half-acre and one-acre lots.

Country Club Acres was also put on the market in 1921. It was located on the other side of Moraga Avenue, extending to Holy Names School and Masonic Avenue was in it.

Oakland Tribune May 28, 1922

Montclair Vista adjoining Country Club Acres opened in 1922 and extended from Harbord Drive to include Maxwelton and Hiltop Crescent. They held a “huge bonfire” (wow!) to announce the opening of Montclair Vista.

Oakland Tribune May 28, 1922

Sierra Vista opened in 1922.

Oakland Tribune 1922

Across the valley, Merriewood was opened in also in 1922. In addition to selling lots, the company also sold lots with small bungalows, the purchaser choosing the style of home to be built. Within two years, they sold 250 of these homes.

Oakland Tribune April 18, 1926

In Merriewood there are streets named for some of the signs of the Zodiac like Aquarius, Aries (no longer used,) Capricorn (my street,) Leo, Taurus, Uranus, and Virgo.

SF Examiner Sept 1924

There is also a group of streets named in honor of Robin Hood. They are Nottingham, Robin Hood, Sherwood, Merriewood (Merry Men?), and Crown (Crown of England?.)

Hampton Highlands opened in 1925 and was located starting where Park Blvd meets Estates Drive.

Oakland Tribune Nov 1, 1925

Montclair Highlands was the large area adjoining the business center, and streets in it were named for explorers; Cortez, Balboa, Magellan, and Drake, among others.

Oakland Tribune June 7, 1925

In this section, the syndicate built an Observation Tower, which burned down a few years later. Montclair Highlands was so successful that Montclair Highlands Extension was opened, including Cabot Drive and Colton Blvd.

Smith Reserve included some 1,600 lots, now known as Piedmont Pines, opened in 1926, and the streets were given English names, such as Ascot, Chelsea, Beaconsfield, Holyrood, and Keswick.

Smith Reserve Beauty Spots
Oakland Tribune May 23, 1926

A lot of work went into preparing Smith Reserve; they had to remove trees, open roads, and put in storm drains.

Scenic Beauty Smith Reserve
Oakland Tribune May 30, 1926

It was in Smith Reserve that they built one of the finest model homes in all of California. Check out Casa Alta Dena here.

Oakland Tribune Oct 9, 1927

In 1927 they opened “Smith Reserve Highlands” after closing out Montclair Highlands.

The Townsite

Oakland Tribune 1919

In 1919 the Realty Syndicate announced the plans for a civic /business center for the area in the hills behind Piedmont.

Site of the new Townsite – Oakland Tribune Nov 7, 1920

When the business district officially opened in 1925, it was known and publicized as “Montclair Townsite.”

Oakland Tribune Nov 7, 1920

Big Promotional Campaign

An extensive newspaper campaign was carried out on both sides of the bay, with advertising bills amounting to thousands of dollars weekly. Banners and flags flew along Moraga Avenue. Two bus lines provided free transportation into the hills.

The syndicate built a large lodge used for sales promotion. A prominent artist on the Examiner staff named Virgil Theodore Nahl painted a large mural painting in the lodge of the hill district looking towards the bay.

The lodge was later converted into an attractive home. I’d love to find out which one on Lodge Court is “The Lodge.”

Following the collapse of the Reality Syndicate in 1929 Raymond Emge who had worked for them took over the management of Montclair Highlands. Emge organized a home building company that promoted homes designed by architects and held architectural competitions. From then until WWII scores of new homes were built throughout the hills.

List of Subdivisions

More Info:

The End

The Highest Home in Oakland – 1928

“1928 Model View Home

The 1928 Model View Home – Oakland Tribune 1928

The 1928 Model View Home is situated at the Top of the World” in reality the topmost peak in Montclair Highlands, overlooking several counties as well as affording a magnificent sweep of the entire bay and part of the Pacific Ocean beyond.

Montclair Highlands Commands Ones of The World’s Finest Views, and Only 15 Minutes From Downtown

Montclair Realty – 1928

Combining modern features in fixtures with a marine view, the Spanish themed home with certain additions, designed by Hamilton Murdock, an Oakland architect.

Oakland Tribune 1928
Oakland Tribune March 1928

The “1928 Model” View Home “The Home Electric.” All the latest features of proven merit – the things you have wondered about are used in the “1928 Model” home, including Oakland Tribune Mar 25, 1928

  • Complete Electrification
  • Quartz-Lite – window glass
  • Colored plumbing ware
  • Venetian Cabinets
  • Linoleum Floors
  • Balanced Illumination
Oakland Tribune 1928

Screen Test for Children

In November of 1928, they held a movie screen test for children in the “1928 Model View “ home. The screen test was under the direction of the Sherman Clay Company.

Oakland Tribune Nov 11, 1928
The Oakland Tribune November 1928

The “1929 Model View” Home

For a few weeks in 1929 is was renamed.

Oakland Tribune Dec 1928
Oakland Tribune 1936
Asking price $8750.00
1954 – Asking price $17,500
1969

Location

The “1928 Model View” home is located at 1949 Asilomar Drive in Montclair. It was one of the first homes built in the hills directly behind the business district of Montclair. The area was called Montclair Highlands. The 1928 Model View Home was built just up the hill, the lone home to the left of the arrow.

1928 photos showing the of the Observation Tower
The solitary home to the left of the yellow area is the Callahan House
at 1989 Asilomar Drive
Photo from East Bay Hills Project

The house has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and last sold in 1974. I don’t have a present-day picture.

1949 Asilomar Drive – Google Maps
  • 1928 Model View Home
  • Montclair Highlands
  • Spanish Style
  • Hamilton Murdock – architect
  • Elmo Adams – builder
  • Howard Gilkey – a landscaper
  • Paul Pause – owner
  • Montclair Realty
  • 1949 Asilomar Drive

The Callahan House is the bottom in the photo below.

Oakland Tribune 1928
1989 Asilomar Drive – Google Maps

Last sold in 2017 for $1, 682, 619 – 1989 Asilomar Drive

The End