Oakland Heritage Alliance
Twenty-Third Annual Walking Tours

Join us and discover 16 different Oakland neighborhoods this summer! July and August weekends.

Port city, transportation hub of the East Bay, and home to distinctive neighborhoods - Oakland has been all of these things since the late 1800s. This year we highlight early industry and transportation, and how these factors helped create Oakland's commercial districts. Join us on eight summer weekends as we walk through historic areas of Oakland; learn more about the city's past and how it informs it's future. With six new tours this year, OHA summer walks explore the city's natural, social and cultural history, diverse neighborhoods and architectural styles.

These tours are based in part on the research of the Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, a project of the City of Oakland Strategic Planning Division, and the resources of the Oakland History Room, Oakland Main Library.

Reservations are not required for tours. Please meet 15 minutes before listed time of each tour to allow for registration. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended as some walks are hilly; bring water. In case of
rain, the tour will be cancelled. We encourage the use of public transportation; call BART at (510) 465-2278 or AC Transit (510) 817-1717 for information. Donation: $5 OHA members, $10 general. Sign up for membership or renewal a the day of the tour and the tour will be free. For further information please call OHA (510) 763-9218 or email to tours@oaklandheritage.org.

Saturday, July 12, Oak Center Historic District, 2pm - 4pm Led by Betty Marvin, Joseph Taylor and Ellen Wyrick-Parkinson. Meet at DeFremery Park, corner of 16th Street and Adeline Street.

This West Oakland neighborhood is a 19th century garden suburb of striking Victorian houses with distinguished histories linked to Oakland¹s early years. The area also has a recent history of social activism, reinventing redevelopment, and grassroots efforts leading to historic district designation for the area.


Sunday, July 13, Mountain View Cemetery, 10am - 1230pm Led by Barbara Smith & Michael Crowe. Meet at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue.

Take a walk into the past in California¹s most historic cemetery to meet some of our state¹s early movers and shakers and the monuments that preserve their memory. Charles Crocker, Domingo Ghirardelli, Samuel Merritt are among those you¹ll encounter. A hilly walk; wear comfortable shoes, bring water.


Saturday, July 19, Borax Smith, 10am - 12noon Led by Phil Bellman. Meet at the redwood tree, corner of McKinley Avenue and Home Place East (one block off Park Boulevard).

Visit the site of Arbor Villa, Francis Marion "Borax" Smith's 1890s palatial estate. Smith founded an international borax industry (20-Mule Team Borax), established the Key Route System, and became one of Oakland's most famous, colorful entrepreneurs. The tour visits the 9th Avenue palm trees, the Mary R. Smith Cottages and several historic houses, including ones by
Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. A hilly walk; wear comfortable shoes & bring water.


Sunday, July 20, Hidden Haddon Hill, 2pm - 4pm Led by Dr. Page A. Yarwood. Meet at the grassy triangle, at the intersection of Kenwyn Road and McKinley Avenue.

Experience this distinctive neighborhood of predominantly Mediterranean-style houses, built primarily during the 1920s and situated between Lake Merritt and Park Boulevard. Its houses were designed by some of the Bay Area¹s most distinguished architects. Highlights of the tour will be homes built and occupied by such prominent residents as the Kaisers, Riskins, Fosses and DeVencenzis. Light refreshments will be available at a reception following the tour.

Saturday, July 26, Oakland Airport North Field, 10am - 1230pm Led by Woody Minor. Meet at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, east end of North Field (Go west on Hegenberger Road from 880, cross Doolittle Drive, immediate right on
Earhart Road).

Old Oakland Airport (North Field) was dedicated by Charles Lindberg and often visited by Amelia Earhart. It is one of the nation¹s most historic aviation sites and its original facilities - five hangars, an administration building, and a hotel, all built between 1927 and 1929 - are largely intact. You may wish to visit the nearby Western Aerospace museum after the tour.
Admission is Adults $7, Seniors $6, Children 6-12 $3.

Sunday, July 27, Piedmont Avenue, 2pm - 4pm Led by Ruby Long. Meet at the Key System marker at 41st Street and Piedmont Avenue

The Key Route station which opened in 1903 at 41st and Piedmont changed this neighborhood from rural estates and rose nurseries to a thriving business area. Almost immediately, community activists began their work. Sites of some of the memorable battles will be highlighted. St. Leo¹s church, Piedmont Avenue Elementary School, and Piedmont Market, two Julia Morgan buildings and Glen Echo Park are on our route. Slight uphill, steep downhill.

Saturday, August 2, Modern Downtown Oakland, 10am - 12noon Led by Michael Crowe. Meet at 11th Street and Broadway, in front of the Marriott Hotel

This tour focuses on downtown examples of modern architecture from Oakland's recent past. Learn about materials, construction methods, detailing and all the features that make modern architecture so grand. This lengthy walk (4th to 17th Street) is the perfect opportunity to learn to love the buildings you used to hate!


Sunday, August 3, Montclair Village, 1pm - 3pm Led by Kathleen diGiovanni. Meet at the corner of Thornhill Drive and Mountain Boulevard, across from the Montclair Women's Club Building.

Explore the history and architecture of Montclair Village, Oakland's vibrant hill community. From the early toll road to the freeway, learn about Montclair's social, residential and commercial development. Montclair's distinctive buildings - the fire station, women's club, recreation center, library and more will be featured on this walk. An easy walk, up and down a
gentle slope.


Saturday, August 9, Splashpad & Grand Avenue, 10am - 1230pm Led by Annalee Allen. Meet at the parking lot of the Lakeview branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero, off Grand Avenue, west of the 580 Freeway.

Tour Oakland's "City Beautiful" boulevard, Grand Avenue - from the Grand Lake Theatre, gateway to the Grand Avenue commercial district, to the landmark Senior Center, formerly the Veteran¹s Memorial building - designed by prominent architect Henry Meyers. The tour also includes the newly renovated SplashPad Park, the Grand Performance Mural, the Bellevue Staten Historic District and the elegant McElroy Fountain.


Sunday, August 10, Lakeshore/Trestle Glen, 1pm - 3pm Led by Dean Yabuki. Meet at the parking lot of the Lakeview branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero, off Grand Avenue, west of the 580 Freeway

Walk from the Library through the SplashPad Park to Lakeshore shopping district, a lovely mix of commercial styles, Œ20s brick and deco tiles. The tour will include a visit to Trestle Glen, legacy of the development boom in the 1910s and Œ20s, conceived as a model community.

Saturday, August 16, Leona Heights, 10am - 12noon Led by Gordon Laverty; co-led by Dennis Evanovsky. Meet at Mountain Boulevard and Leona Street, site of old Chabot Observatory.

Walk in the woods and fire trails of the Leona Greenbelt in East Oakland to see the Leona Mine, Leona Creek, Leona Hotel site, Leona trolley line end point, and relics of industrial activity and redwood lumbering in the early days. View soils and Hayward fault features, especially exposed Leona Rhyolite. Hilly walk; wear comfortable shoes.


Sunday, August 17, Oakland's Cable Railways, 10am - 1230pm Led by Don Holmgren. Meet at the former Cox Cadillac Showroom, 2500 Harrison Street at Bay Place.

This tour will begin with a brief history of Oakland's cable railway systems, followed by a walk retracing the centerpiece of Oakland's cable car system, the Consolidated Piedmont Cable Co.¹s scenic line to Piedmont Springs. The tour begins easily at Harrison Street and becomes steeper as we proceed up Oakland Avenue. Wear comfortable shoes; bring water. There will be rest stops.


Saturday, August 23, Between Two Creeks: Upper Fruitvale Residential, 10am - 1230pm Led by John Brennan, Pamela Magnuson-Peddle & Betty Marvin. Meet at Peralta Hacienda Park, corner of 34th Avenue and Paxton Street.

In 1821, Oakland as we know it began with the establishment of the Peralta Hacienda on a hill between Peralta and Sausal creeks. Discover the house and new historic park there, and the changing architectural styles of the neighborhood that reflect area development as it welcomed new residents. Other highlights include the many-layered history of the commercial
district, a 1906 resort hotel, a fabulous bungalow mansion, and Fruitvale native, John Brennan's, reminiscences.


Sunday, August 24, Twenties Timewarp: Mills Gardens to Picardy Drive, 10am - 12noon Led by Deborah Cooper and Andrew Carpentier. Meet at Brann Street and 58th Avenue, not far from Mills College.

The 1920s saw a housing boom in Oakland. Visit two planned neighborhoods created in the 1920s by developers: Mills Gardens and Normandy Gardens, now better known as Picardy Drive. Both of these neighborhoods retain the Œ20s late bungalow and period revival architectural styles as well as the community oriented design. A special guest will explain some surprising features of the natural landscape that help to create the character of the neighborhoods.

Saturday, August 30, Northgate, 2 pm - 4 pm Led by Alan Templeton. Meet at the corner of 20th Street & Telegraph Avenue (1 block west of the northern end of the 19th St. BART station)

This neighborhood along Telegraph Avenue just north of downtown Oakland is re-emerging as a vibrant commercial district. It is a combination of the old and new, including the old Sears building now converted to shops and lofts, the elegant wooden church of St. Augustine, and a burgeoning Korean community.


Sunday, August 31, Wholesale Produce Market and Waterfront Warehouse District, 10am - 12noon Led by Gary Knecht. Meet at the intersection of Third and Franklin Streets

Explore the history and architecture of two of Oakland's fragile, endangered historic districts: the Wholesale Produce Market, which has operated continuously since opening in 1917, and the Waterfront Warehouse District, whose early 20th century industrial, shipping, and warehousing activities are being replaced by office, commercial, and lifestyle loft uses. Historic structures have been adapted to new uses; new apartment houses have sprouted like weeds; and three large building projects have been approved, but not yet constructed. The WWD boasts the country's finest collection of sidewalk trash receptacles.