Claremont-Rockridge Estates Walk Itinerary - bathrooms at Star Grocery - safety: rough ground, busy traffic The scene: ~1900, rolling grassy hills, few trees, 4-5 miles from Oakland, convenient but not too close, good place for estates. North of here was Russ estate, Oakvale (more later; we'll visit). North of that, Taggart/Hotchkiss estate (1877-1941) - old wall visible in places - driveway was made a street in 1940's & named for Hotchkiss daughter Hazel, a tennis star North of Hotchkiss estate was George Cox's "Laurelwood" (1881-1914), Miss Graham's Riding Academy (1905) where John Muir School (1915) is. North of Ashby: Palaches' Fairview, Garber's Bellerose; Kelsey orchard To go east then, take Harwood's Road (now Claremont Ave.) up to Summit House and down other side. In 1903, tunnel dug through the hills and Tunnel Road built to it. 1935: Ashby becomes CA 13. 1937: Caldecott Tunnel, top of Broadway Plaque describes Uplands subdivision, 1905- East side of Claremont Ave. down to Hillcrest was Joseph Park estate, Park Place; 1914 house is at 3115 Claremont ---------------------------- Start walk ---------------------------- Oakvale Avenue was driveway to Frederick Russ estate "Oakvale" (built in 1870's, sold 1907, razed 1925); 2 palms to west mark entrance. Grotto was well of estate; Claremont Ave. omnibus horses drank from it - Russ Building at 235 Montgomery was once tallest building in SF Spohn house (10 Oakvale; 1911) was garage for planned "manor house" Walter Wood estate (1 Plaza Drive; 1909); WW a lumberman, appropriately Napoleon Douglas house (35 Parkside; 1910) was "model home" in photos Hitching posts on Plaza Drive Greyhaven, 90 El Camino; home of Diana Paxson, colleague of M Z Bradley Charles Keeler studio, 155 El Camino (around 1917); we are now at the edge of the 1991 firestorm Yelland-designed house (1925) at end of Hillcrest, built for Capt. & Mrs. Edwards (nee Hind) - half burned in 1991 firestorm Hind estate (1908-~1938) by William Knowles at 208 The Uplands, visible in 1909 photo; replaced with newer houses 240 The Uplands: Vernon (UCB architect) & Betty DeMars Henry W. Taylor mansion "La Dulzura", top of The Uplands (1908-1935) - owner replaced John Galen Howard with L C Mullgardt as architect - 40 rooms, $150K, Mission/Tibetan style, terra cotta cobblestone roof Pause to mention plan for McDuffie estate, & Tunnel Road sights: - Duncan McDuffie carriage house (156 Tunnel Road; 1910) - Yelland-designed "country French estate" (166 Tunnel Road; 1927), - Ghirardelli family house (169 Tunnel Road; 1908) William McDuffie (Duncan's younger brother) house (6 Roble Road; 1920) Duncan McDuffie house (22 Roble Road; 1924) and garden below Architect Walter Ratcliff home (55 Roble Road; 1914) Roble Road ended at pillars (Oakland border) till between 1947 & 1959. On left, site of Heimbold dairy farm, 18xx-1960; edge of 1991 firestorm Railroad bed of Sacramento Northern RR till 1960 Down into rustic Chabot Canyon/Temescal Creek; mention "The Six" Chick house by Maybeck (7133 Chabot Road; 1914) - was at edge of 1991 fire, corner of roof burned Artist Maurice Logan's house (7117 Chabot; 1918), on "Gold Rock" where bank robbers were hanged ~1900 but loot never found; they say Langenbach house (7045 Chabot; 1996); on rollers Artist Selden Connor Gile's house 1915-1927 at 7027 Chabot Road Claremont Club ~1911 by Charles S. Kaiser, later Charles K. Sumner Architect Charles Sumner Kaiser's house (60 The Uplands; 1907); also designed Claremont Club (214 Hillcrest) and Ghirardelli family house