By Aiko Hill

Looking Back, Moving Forward

One of the fantastic aspects of our village is the architectural diversity. In “old” Los Altos there is a wide range of styles, which began developing in the very early part of the 20th century.

According to Eastman’s history of the town, there were only 50 homes in 1911. By the mid-1920s, three distinct housing districts had developed: the University Avenue area, Los Altos Park and Loyola Corners. The University Avenue area was a very elite neighborhood, with many homes beginning as summer residences for prominent San Francisco businessmen and their families or year-round living quarters for businessmen who commuted to San Francisco via train. The lot sizes and scales of the homes varied, yet, as pointed out in the 1997 Historical Resource, there was still a continuity of form in the streetscape.

Los Altos Park was subdivided in late 1925, and the first small homes were built on small, uniformly sized lots. In 1904 the Loyola area was known as the Loyola Tract. Covering 600 acres, the area was purchased by the Jesuit Father of the University of Santa Clara for the purpose of relocating the college. The financial pledges for the construction of the new school fell through after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and instead of a college the area became a pasture for dairy cattle. In 1926 the land was officially subdivided, with one group of investors purchasing a portion in order to establish the Los Altos Country Club. The early homes in the area were mainly cottages, also built on relatively small lots.

Many of the homes built during the 1920s and 1930s are now recognized for their architectural uniqueness and, consequently, their historical value. Their styles include Bungalows, Mission, Period Revival (Tudor, Colonial, Provincial), Prairie, Italian Villa and Spanish Colonial Revival.

If anyone were interested in a walking tour, they might want to pause for a moment outside the homes at 11 Angela, 232 Burke, 484 Cherry, 1 Cypress, 233 Edith, 1485 Fremont, 1621 Kensington Circle, 25 Maynard Court, 55 Pepper, 625 Palm, and a number of homes on University. The home on Pepper has already been registered as a city landmark, and 500 University may be eligible for listing on the National Register.

So, the next time you’re looking for some local entertainment, consider taking a walk around our beautiful neighborhoods. But please don’t disturb the residents!

Send comments and suggestions to aikohill@aol.com.