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Susan Dinkelspiel Cerny 860 Keeler Avenue Berkeley, California 94708 [email protected]
Landmark Preservation Commission, Via: e-mail
Re: Landmark Application: 22 Roble Road
Dear Commissioners,
I have read through the draft landmark application for 22 Roble Road, dated about January 16, 2011.
I have restricted my comments to those sections that I have some expertise in, namely: Historic Context, Project Site History, and the Mason-McDuffie Company.
I am cited as a source in a couple of footnotes as author of Berkeley Landmarks, 1994. Interestingly the author does not use my second, revised edition from 2001. I have done a fair amount of research in the Claremont area beginning in 1992 when I wrote the introduction for Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association’s house tour brochure “Claremont Court” and delivered an illustrated pre-tour lecture. In 2000 I wrote the introduction to the house tour brochure “Claremont Country Houses and Their Gardens” and the write up for the subject property at 22 Roble Road.
While conducting research for both these brochures, I became interested in the relationship between Francis Marion “Borax” Smith’s consolidation of independent streetcar lines and his development of the Key System that became the basis for what is now AC Transit. I was also interested in his connection with the streetcar suburbs of Berkeley such as the Claremont and Northbrae, and of course Duncan McDuffie’s role in all this.
While, I have not followed up on finding the definitive answers to all my questions, I do think that I have enough knowledge to comment on this landmark application which I find rather lacking in specifics and sketchy in generalizations.
I do believe that this property, with its important associations, architecture and landscape architecture, to be worthy of designation. However, I hope that the final landmark application is revised to reflect my comments below.
Sincerely,
Susan Cerny C E R N Y | 1
HISTORIC CONTEXT
Early History Page 8 The author of the landmark application has attempted to present a short history of the City of Berkeley, but has probably not had the time to do much research nor evaluate, compare nor comprehend the various sources that have been cited. A very short paragraph would be better than this vague and semi-incorrect “early history. I am nitpicking here to demonstrate the lack of attention to detail demonstrated in this application.
Page 8, para 1, line 4 The year the Gold Rush began is well know –why make the statement “less than a decade later”
para 1, line 5 “In 1850, the United States annexed California” --see John English’s correction on what really happened in 1850. What happened in "1850" was California's becoming a STATE.
Para 1, line 8 “…filed claims to a square mile…” My book, Berkeley Landmarks is used as reference (p. 64) is NOT what I wrote --- what I said was “acquired legal title…” I do not consider “filed claims” and acquired “legal title” the same thing. Although it may have been merely a “claim”, that is not what I said so I should not be used as the reference.
Para 1, lines 9-11 “The first schoolhouse …was constructed …in the 1850s…” The History of Berkeley pamphlet being used for footnotes 4-6 states it was opened in 1856--- why not say this? “…about half a mile from the current site of the West Campus” of what? …why state this?
Para 1 lines 13-17 The information contained in these lines is not consistent with the information contained in the footnote for these lines (#4) A History of Berkeley: An Exhibit Commemorating the Centennial of the City of Berkeley (Berkeley: Berkeley Art Center, 1978), 30. There is more information here that has no reference. Footnote #5 is on p. 31, not 30. Para 1, line 14 “In 1868, the financially troubled college…” This is included in footnote #5. But this piece of information is not stated there. Where is this stated? Where did that information come from? Is this true?
BERKELEY GROWS Because the author of the landmark application used a “Chronology of Berkeley History” from A History of Berkeley: An Exhibit Commemorating the Centennial of the City of Berkeley (Berkeley: Berkeley Art Center, 1978), as the main source of historic information, and because this history was, for reasons I don’t know, sort of focused on Ocean View (West Berkeley) bringing of the Central Pacific (later Southern Pacific) railroad into downtown, along Shattuck Avenue, in 1876 is missing. This is immensely important to the growth of the university and the residential and commercial areas surrounding the university.
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Also, missing is the introduction of the first electric streetcar line along Grove Street (MLK Jr. Way) in 1891 and its extension to the university around 1892.
Berkeley actually begins to grow at a steady pace during the 1890s until 1906 when is does really explode.
Footnote #7 “Ibid. 64” is not from the aforementioned “History of Berkeley”. The are only 32 pages in that pamphlet. It is actually Cerny, page 64. and is not paraphrased correctly.
CLAREMONT
Footnote #8 is incorrect. The source is the house tour brochure "Claremont: Country Houses and Their Gardens”, Berkeley Architectural heritage Association, 2000. Introduction, Susan Cerny.
Footnote #9 is incorrect. The source is the house tour brochure “Claremont Court”, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, 1993. Introduction, Susan Stern Cerny. Quote from Oakland Times, July 20, 1882.
Page 9, para 1, line 2-3 “…developed by the Claremont Park Company a development company with the same owners and officers as the Mason-McDuffie Company.”
This is not true. Louis Titus was President of the Claremont Park Company and Duncan McDuffie was Secretary. At this time Joseph Mason was president of the Mason McDuffie Company. (Source: Mason McDuffie Company Files, Bancroft Library)
PROJECT SITE HISTORY
Page 9, para 2, line 5-6 “…the Olmsted Brothers firm had established a working relationship through multiple residential subdivision projects in Berkeley and the Bay Area.”
There is no source reference. I know of only one for certain: St. Francis Wood in San Francisco. Claremont Park’s landscape architect is unknown—sometimes attributed to the Olmsted Bros. but that is not fact.
Page 9, para 3, line 6. “John Galen Howard was long a business associate of McDuffie’s.”
There is no source for this statement. John Galen Howard was an architect who designed several subdivision amenities for McDuffie: Northbrae, Claremont Park and Claremont Court, and St. Francis Wood. Was he really a “business associate”? Or was he really simply his hired architect? Need a source for such a statement. In the Bancroft files I did not see Howard as a shareholder in any of the subdivision companies.
MASON-MCDUFFIE COMPANY
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Page 19, para 1, lines 2-4 “Mason-McDuffie developments in Berkeley include: Berkeley Heights, Berkeley Square, Northbrae, Regents Park, San Pablo Park, Kellogg Tract, Claremont, and Claremont Court.”
Technically, or legally these were not Mason-McDuffie developments.
Several development companies were registered between 1900 and 1906 West Berkeley Land Company, 1900 University Development Company. 1904 The Berkeley Development Company,1904 The Northland Tract October 14, 1904 Claremont Land Company, Feb. 4, 1905 Claremont Park Co. Feb. 4, 1905 Berkeley Construction Company, June 1906 North Berkeley Land Company, Oct. 6, 1906 Claremont Court Company, Dec. 24, 1906
Louis Titus was president of all these companies and Duncan McDuffie was secretary Titus was an attorney for the Berkeley National Bank and President of the People's Water District
The real estate company known as Mason-McDuffie was not the developer of the subdivisions, but served as the sales office for the development companies whose principals often overlapped with the principals of the Mason-McDuffie Company.
On November 11, 1912 the Mason-McDuffie Company (now with Duncan McDuffie, president and Elmer Rowell, secretary) became the successor to Claremont Court Co., the Claremont Park Company and all unsold lots in Claremont, Oak Ridge, Upper Claremont, Eucalyptus Hill and Hotel Claremont tracts, the Berkeley Development Company, the Berkeley Construction Company and the Berkeley Realty Company for the sum of $10.
The main sources for this statement are: Mason-McDuffie Records #89/12c, 1904-1983, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. Hildebrand, George H., Borax Pioneer: Francis Marion Smith. Howell-North Books, LaJolla, California, 1982. Pages 152-209
Page 18, para 2, lines 4-5. “This group of men built and financed fifteen of Berkeley’s primary residential areas, undeniably influencing the physical development of Berkeley and its neighborhoods.”
This is not true. This is a broad generalized statement that doesn’t hold up to the facts. Louis Titus is a primary figure and not all those men were involved in all those developments. See above.
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Page 18, para 3, line 15. “But the Olmsted Brothers did the layout for St. Francis Wood and the Claremont district.” No solid evidence has ever been found that documents the Olmsted’s involvement in the Claremont districts’ subdivision designs.
Page 19, para 2, lines 3-5. “Mason-McDuffie subdivisions were designed by well known landscape architects such as the Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the Olmsted Brothers…. ” This is an overstatement and generalization —see above.
Page 19, para 3, line 1 “The Mason-McDuffie Company’s residential park subdivisions…” More accurately, this could be stated thusly: The residential subdivisions that Duncan McDuffies was involved with …. The problem here is that there were so many companies, so many people involved, but it is most likely that McDuffie was the guiding light as he is the person who is the most likely to have had the “vision” so to speak. Again, a generalized type of comment that isn’t really accurate.
Page 19, para 3, line 7 “Mason-McDuffie subdivisions” more accurately—Subdivisions associated with Mason McDuffie --- The problem here is that after 1912 they were Mason McDuffie subdivisions, but they weren’t before that date. Again, a generalized type of comment that isn’t really accurate.
Landmark applications are records that are relied on to be accurate.
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