Capt. James A. Hamilton House

Tucked among the modern commercial landscape of San Jose is a Victorian gem, the home of Captain James Hamilton, who was a well-known whaling captain. The two-story, wood frame house, once was surrounded by a large tract landscaped with fruit trees. The home, which has been added onto several times, features Italianate and Queen Anne styles; the oldest portion dates to around 1882 (or possibly 1890). The Captain James A. Hamilton House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; plaques are displayed in front of the house on a brick base by the sidewalk. The building currently holds the offices of Guerra Realty Company.

The striking Queen Anne farmhouse in the midst of a busy commercial thoroughfare is the former home of Captain James Hamilton (1826-1903), a successful whaler. Born in Portage, Ohio, Hamilton left home at a young age and worked on several ships before becoming a captain. He captained several ships, the most successful of which was the Charles W. Morgan, which was famous for carrying the largest amount of blubber in a single voyage. Hamilton married Anna W. Thrum (or Hill), a native of Australia, in the Sandwich Islands in 1868. The couple had three children: Edith, Agusta, and Robert; Robert was born in Suffield, Connecticut in 1871.

In 1882, Captain Hamilton bought 21 acres in Santa Clara County and built the home on Bascom Avenue. The land largely consisted of orchards at the time, and following his retirement from the whaling business, Hamilton became one of the most active horticulturalists in the area. He first retired in 1887 after becoming ill while sailing near Japan; he sailed away again in April 1889, according to a local newspaper. When he returned, he may have retired for good. His ship logs have been preserved and are stored at the Whaling Museum in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut.

Part of his retirement plans appear to have been to have a new home built. In July 1890, a San Jose newspaper mentioned that Captain Hamilton was having a "two-story modern cottage" constructed "in Campbell." Campbell is a suburb southwest of San Jose, just west of the Bascom Ave. neighborhood; it is possible that the Bascom Ave. house was built in 1890, not 1882. The architect for the new home was Francis W. Reid; the newly-signed contract for building the house went to F. D. Wolf for $1695. Hamilton was listed in an 1899 directory for Campbell as an orchardist. He was elected president of the Campbell Fruit Growers' Union in 1901. By February 1903, when he died at age 76, Hamilton was living on Johnson Ave. in Campbell. He was buried in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose. Anna, who was twenty-four years younger than James, lived until 1923; she passed away in Campbell. Their son, Robert, died in San Jose in 1945 around age 74; his wife, Della Storrs, lived until 1928.

Aside from its historical significance as the home of a prominent San Jose resident, the home is also architecturally significant. It is a well-preserved example of a Queen Anne farmhouse, and the only one still extant on Bascom Ave. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980; it was also known at the time as Tivoli Art Gallery. The house currently holds a real estate office.

Anonymous. "Campbells Station." San Jose Daily Mercury (San Jose) April 28th, 1889. 4-4.

Anonymous. "New Buildings." San Jose Daily Herald (San Jose) July 22nd, 1890. 1-1.

Anonymous. "Campbell at its Best: Beauty of Orchards and Gardens in their Spring Garb, Fruit Growers' Meeting." San Jose Daily Mercury (San Jose) May 13th, 1901. 7-7.

Anonymous. "Died. Hamilton." San Jose Daily Mercury (San Jose) February 11th, 1903. 8-8.

Eternal Peace. Memorial for Anna W. Hill Hamilton (1850-1923), Find a Grave. July 8th, 2010. Accessed June 24th, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54652029/anna_w_hamilton.

Eternal Peace. Memorial for Robert Hamilton (1871-1945), Find a Grave. August 17th, 2013. Accessed June 24th, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115649337/robert_hamilton.

Husted, F. M. San Jose City Directory Including Santa Clara County, 1899-1900. San Jose, CA. F. M. Husted, 1899.

Swackhammer, Barry. Hamilton House, Historical Marker Database. February 7th, 2023. Accessed June 24th, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=52123.

Urban/Rural Conservation. Bingham, Paul. NRHP nomination of Captain James A. Hamilton House, 2295 Bascom Ave., San Jose, CA. National Register of Historic Places. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1979.

Winmar. Memorial for Capt. James A. Hamilton (1826-1903), Find a Grave. August 8th, 2010. Accessed June 24th, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56625649/james-a-hamilton.