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Gaspar De Portola was a soldier and explorer who became&nbsp;the first Spanish explorer in the San Francisco bay. He also served as the first Spanish&nbsp;colonial governor of Alta California. De Portola and his men encountered Native inhabitants during their time, an encounter that seems to have been peaceful at least from the perspective of the Spanish. Father Juan Crespi described the several thousand residents of the bay area as kind and generous. Part of the Costanoan tribes that thrived in the area, the inhabitants enjoyed a diet of shellfish, waterfowl, and fish. They also&nbsp;created large mounds that&nbsp;archaeologists&nbsp;have determined date back as far as 3500 years. De Portola's&nbsp;mission to northern California&nbsp;had several purposes, namely to map and claim the area and establish a series of missions that would convert Native inhabitants to Catholicism. As the leader of the first land expedition to the area, he and his men created maps that named many of the geographic features.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This marker and tree can be found on the southern side of Mitchell Park.

This photo of the two-trunked El Palo Alto was taken in 1875. The tree still stands at a park on the northern edge of the city.

Learn more about El Palo Alto as a symbol of the city

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Information and directions to El Palo Alto

The redwood tree has long been a symbol for this section of California. Native inhabitants considered an extraordinarily tall redwood tree that had two separate trunks to be a landmark and meeting place. This same tree was identified by Don Gaspar De Portola and his men when they selected a place to camp during their 1789 expedition. The tree was later named El Palo Alto and became the symbol of the city. This historic marker does not denote the location of the great redwood tree where De Portola's men camped. Instead, it marks the planting of El Palo Nuevo in 1969. This tree was meant to be a symbolic brother of the of the one-thousand-year-old redwood El Palo Alto. For many years, residents feared that the 1000-year old tree might perish, but it continues to thrive thanks to the efforts of local citizens and the city. El Palo Alto can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of this page. 

El Palo Nuevo

This driving tour includes homes that are architecturally or historically significant as well as historical markers that designate the locations where early settlers or prominent citizens lived or made history inside their home or garage. Many of the stops on this tour are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and either in Palo Alto or located just beyond this Silicon Valley community. 

After graduating from Harvard, Squire completed his postgraduate education at Stanford. His family owned the Squire Meatpacking Company of Massachusetts, one of the first shipping companies to ship meat over long distances by packing their products in ice. Squire lived in this home and taught Classics at Stanford.&nbsp;

Built in 1905, the John Adams Squire House is one of the earliest homes constructed in Palo Alto and is the best example of Greek Revival architecture in the city. It features the typical elements of this style including a portico and Ionic columnns. The house is named after its owner, John A. Squire, who was a Greek scholar and a meteorologist (interestingly, he had a meteorology lab in the home). It is a private home today but can be viewed from the street.

John Adams Squire House

This home was built for the family of Carl Wilson in 1906 and is one of the many Colonial Revival homes that were built in Palo Alto following the opening of Stanford University in 1891. This home's historical significance lies mostly in its architectural design, including an abundance of detailing and ornate features. Leland Stanford sought to develop a "dry" town adjacent to his university as the neighboring towns of Mayfield and Menlo Park allowed for the operation of saloons. Stanford's business associate Timothy Hopkins purchased nearly 700 acres of land and called the development"Middlefield." This name was later changed to Palo Alto at Leland Stanford's request. Lots in the new development sold almost as soon as they were on the market in the 1890s, and the new community of Palo Alto grew rapidly in tandem with Stanford and the rest of the region.This home located at 860 University was completed in 1906 and was one of the first of many grand residences on large lots built east of that first Middlefield plat. The home's first residents, Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Peck, sold the property in 1907 after only living in the house for one year. Surgeon Carl Wilson and his wife Clara purchased the home which stayed in the Wilson family until 1975. The Carl Wilson House is exemplary of the Colonial Revival style, utilized widely in Palo Alto approximately between 1895 and 1915, especially in the nearby Professorville neighborhood. Shortly after Stanford University opened in 1891, the land on which the Professorville neighborhood currently subsists was set aside as land intended for future homes that would serve people specifically affiliated with the university.The lot consists of the main house, expansive garden, and a carriage house at the rear. The house enjoys many layers and architectural detailing that catch the eye, mainly due to the extended eaves and large porch that extended eaves that provide the home with a "horizontal" feel. The porch adds to that horizontal feel as it is a spacious veranda that surrounds the house. A low gable, marked by a relief ornament comprised of a shield and floral motifs, overhangs the broad, shallow flight of steps at the veranda's entry point. Simple, recessed columns without capitals support the porch. Another noteworthy feature involves its colorful, two-story stained glass windows located in a unique rounded bay. Today the home stands as a reminder to Palo Alto's early history. Viewing the house allows one to see the town's early prosperity, the influence of Stanford University, and the prevalence of Colonial Revival design around the turn of the twentieth century.

Constructed in 1906, this historic home represents the growth of residential communities in Palo Alto in the decades following the opening of Stanford University. Similar to the Peck-Wilson House, many of the homes that were built between 1895 and 1915 utilized the Colonial Revival design. Surgeon Carl Willson purchased the home in 1907 and it stayed in the Wilson family until 1975. The home today stands as one of the finest examples of the Colonial Revival design and a reminder of the growth of Palo Alto in its early decades.

Peck - Wilson House (a.k.a. Carl Wilson House) in Palo Alto

<div>The Downing House, built in 1894 by W. Matlock Campbell for T. B. and Margaret (Sanford) Downing, is one of the most extravagant Queen Anne buildings remaining in Palo Alto. Its round "witch's hat" corner tower is its most striking feature, but the house abounds in ornate details. While it stands as an architectural marvel, the house also stands as a monument to the birth of Palo Alto and Stanford University, the seeds of which blossomed into what became Silicon Valley and a technological hub during late twentieth and&nbsp;twenty-first centuries.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The house arose three years after the incorporation of Stanford University, which eventually became highly influential in the growth of the technological revolution that forged the growth of Silicon Valley.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>Though the history of the area pre-dates European and Asian influence by centuries, its modern history begins in roughly the middle portion of the nineteenth century with the establishment of the town of Mayfield in 1855. The San Francisco and San Jose railroad arrived in 1863.&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>By the 1870s, Leland Stanford began purchasing property including land that became the Palo Alto Stock Farm. Stanford sought a space in Mayfield to create a new university, but Leland wanted the town to ban alcohol sales. When that demand wasn't met, Leland bought land outside of Mayfield and established the city of Temperance Town, which is where he built Stanford University (incorporated in 1891).&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>A few years later, in 1894, the area was renamed Palo Alto, which is when T.B. Downing had his house built. Downing was instrumental in developing Palo Alto, which eventually included the annexation of the fledgling Mayfield; the town ceased to grow once Stanford and Palo Alto realized its urban success. Downing served on the first Palo Alto City Council and served on the school board. He also invested heavily in the city, including developing the large Downing Block that eventually housed the U.S. Post Office (1909 - 1928).&nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>The building represents the dual histories of Stanford University and Palo Alto. Stanford Alums such as Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, as well as the founders of Google, Sun Microsystems, Intel, Instagram, Netflix (and many more),&nbsp; helped turn the area into its informal name, "Silicon Valley." The region and university are noted for its profound influence on the twenty-first-century technological revolution and the dawn of the digital age.&nbsp;</div>

T. B. Downing (1864–1916) and his wife Margaret (Sanford) built one of the most ornate and largest houses in early Palo Alto history, arising only three years after the incorporation of Stanford University. The couple arrived in California in 1879 and then to Palo Alto in 1894. T.B. served as an early school board member and on Palo Alto's first City Council. He also invested heavily in Palo Alto, helping it grow at the expense of nearby Mayfield. The growth of the University and the town laid the groundwork for what eventually became twenty-first century technology hub in the U.S -- Stanford University is a large part of the Silicon Valley story. 

T. B. Downing House

Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett had&nbsp;met when both young men were engineering students of Dr.
Frederick Terman at Stanford University. Dr. Terman encouraged his students to utilize their
skills locally,&nbsp;in California, rather than for the big companies on the east coast, which at that time (the 1930s)&nbsp;did most of the hiring of engineering graduates. Nevertheless, after graduation Dave Packard got a job on the east coast (in Schenectady, New York)
for General Electric. However, he kept in touch with Hewlett, and in 1937 discussed with him the possibility of their going into business together. Dr. Terman, in&nbsp;the following year,&nbsp;got Packard a job at Stanford, and
the latter took a leave of absence from G.E. and moved back west with his new wife, Lucile.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Hewlett&nbsp;discovered the property at 367
Addison, and was attracted to it because it had a garage, which measured 12 by 18 feet and included&nbsp;a workbench,&nbsp;that he and Packard
could use as a workshop.&nbsp;The house had been built in 1905 by Dr. John C. Spencer, and the garage had existed since at least 1924, when it was first listed in insurance records. (The Santa Clara Valley&nbsp;was mostly an agricultural area when Packard and Hewlett started working there.) The rent was a very&nbsp;affordable $45 a month. The Packards lived in the two-story house and Hewlett in a small shed on the property.&nbsp;Lucile Packard did the correspondence and
bookkeeping for the company in the house, while the men worked in the garage. The team&nbsp;designed a number of products, including
for a hospital and even&nbsp;a bowling alley.&nbsp; With Dr. Terman’s encouragement, they developed a
variable frequency oscillator, which measures sound frequencies, by Christmas
1938, calling it&nbsp;the Model 200A. At the same time, they produced another model, the&nbsp;200B
oscillator, and created a brochure to market it to 25 potential customers. An engineer at the Walt Disney Company became interested and, needing oscillators for the release of&nbsp;Disney's classic animated film, Fantasia,&nbsp;the company&nbsp;purchased eight&nbsp;units of Model 200B: the partners' first major sale.&nbsp;In January, 1939, Packard quit G.E. and the pair formalized their
partnership, deciding on the name “Hewlett-Packard” on a coin toss that, one
presumes, Hewlett won. In their first year of operation, with two employees, the company
produced 200 oscillators, which they produced entirely themselves,&nbsp;except for the enclosing
cabinets and engraving. By early 1940, the company had outgrown its cramped&nbsp;workshop and moved to other quarters.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was in the postwar period that Dr. Terman,
Hewlett’s and Packard’s former professor and mentor, laid the foundation for the valley region
as a high technology center, with Stanford University as its core, creating the first high-tech industrial research
park near the campus. In 1953, Hewlett and Packard moved their still
relatively new company to the Stanford Research Park. The team then helped promote the park. Silicon Valley is now home&nbsp;to over 4500
high-tech organizations, largely thanks to HP’s pioneering work and reputation. In 1989, when the site at 367 Addison was officially dedicated
as the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” both Packard and Hewlett were present
for the dedication ceremony. The entire property – house, garage and shed –
was purchased in 2000 by HP for $1.7 million.&nbsp;With the cooperation of the City of Palo Alto,&nbsp;a complete rehabilitation of the property was begun in 2005 by HP, which restored its original
appearance and architectural integrity. The single-story rectangular garage, located at
the west corner of the property, is topped by a single gabled roof with a broad
eave.&nbsp;The framing of the walls and roof are exposed,
and the floor is a concrete slab.&nbsp;Deteriorating shingles were replaced with new
shingles.&nbsp;A plaque in front of the garage identifies it as the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley.”&nbsp;Because it is located in a quiet residential
neighborhood near Stanford University, the garage and house are not open to
tours, but they can be viewed and photographed from the street.&nbsp;&nbsp; The garage, as well as the house and shed on the property, are undistinguished architecturally.&nbsp;The property’s only significance is as the
historical start of a major corporation and of the phenomenon of “Silicon
Valley.” According to Paul Lusignan, a historian with the
National Register of Historic Places in Washington, “The significance of the
garage and the house is more associated with the entrepreneurial spirit in
which it was developed.”&nbsp;As an article in Fortune magazine in 1974
states, “Whenever local high-technology leaders discuss the beginnings of
Silicon Valley, the garage is noted as the place 'where it all began.’”&nbsp;

The famed “HP Garage,” as well as the adjoining two-story house and shed, were the birthplace of the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), and of Silicon Valley as a center of high-tech innovation. William “Bill” Hewlett and David “Dave” Packard, who had both been students of Prof. Frederick Terman (later known as "The Father of Silicon Valley"), worked at the property between 1938 and 1940. The two men started out with $538 in working capital, including a used drill press that Packard had brought west with him. In their first major success, they sold eight units of a variable frequency oscillator they had developed to the Walt Disney Company, which needed them for the rollout of its animated classic, Fantasia. Today, HP is a Fortune 500 company with billions of dollars in annual revenues. The property at 367 Addison was the company’s headquarters until 1940, by which time the company had outgrown the original site and moved elsewhere. 

The property was registered as California Registered Landmark No. 976 in August 1987 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. 


HP Garage

The Norris House (1927) enjoys historical significance mainly due to its inhabitants: Kathleen and Charles Norris, both of whom enjoyed fame for their literary works. Kathleen Norris once stood as the United States' highest-paid female author. Architect Birge Clark designed the home and remains one of the region's best-known masters of the Spanish Colonial Revival design.Kathleen Norris published her first novelette, Mothers, in 1911 to instant acclaim and in the 45 years that followed, she wrote 90 novels, romantic stories, and mysteries. A common theme in her books involved a strong female character who embodied her ideal image of a fulfilled woman. In addition to novels, Kathleen also contributed articles and short stories to many magazines. She wrote a weekly column and answered 700 letters a week for Bell Syndicate, fulfilling a role later made famous by "Dear Abby" and Ann Landers. Charles Norris served as his wife's agent and editor, but he was also a literary figure in his own right. While he did not produce the volume of literary work that his wife Kathleen did, he did compose numerous noteworthy novels. The literary community recognized Charles Norris as an author with a talent for writing dramatic works that included a message concerning social values. His works included the Amateur (1915), Salt, (1917) Brass (1921) Bread (1921) Pig Iron (1925), and Zelda Marsh (1927)Before Charles wrote novels, he worked as an editor of several magazines such as Country Life, Sunset, and American. He was also very involved in social activities in San Francisco, belonging to several clubs, including The Bohemian Club, where he served as president. In 1927, the couple lived in Saratoga, but they wanted to live closer to San Francisco. The Norrises sought a large house suitable for living, entertaining, and working (writing). Birge Clark, the architect, designed for them a Spanish Revival home that included enough bedrooms to provide for seven family members and five staff members, a four-car garage -- a huge garage in the 1920s, a secretary's office, an expansive, outdoor "Spanish kitchen," a croquet lawn and many fireplaces. The final cost of $81,000 was a considerable amount of money in 1927, demonstrating the success and wealth of the writing couple, especially Kathleen. Indeed, when completed, the home stood as the largest and most expensive work executed by Clark in Palo Alto up to that time. Furthermore, the large house serves as one of Palo Alto's best examples of the Spanish Colonial Revival form, and it inspired numerous other architectural projects in the city for years to come.

This large Spanish Revival house was built in 1927 and served as the home of Kathleen and Charles Norris, two acclaimed authors. Kathleen wrote 90 books and by the 1940s was the highest-paid female author in the United States. Her books featured strong lead female characters who lead fulfilled lives, and her books sold well. Charles Norris served as his wife's agent and editor, but he was also a literary figure in his own right.  In 1949, the San Francisco Diocese purchased the Norris House and it served as the Newman Center at Stanford University. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and again became a private home around the year 2000. 

Norris House

The Allen House, designed in 1905 by the prominent Oakland architect Alfred W. Smith (1864-1933), served as the home Palo Alto Christian Science Church founder, Theophilus Allen. The historic home is an excellent and unusually large example of the architecture created in California under the influence of the American Arts and Crafts movement. The house represents the connection between the Arts and Crafts movement in California, including the development of Palo Alto, and the prevalent architecture of the 1890s through the 1920s. Thousands of families sought greater freedom of expression, as well as various forms of spiritual, artistic, and intellectual awakening, which included Theophilus Allens, who founded the Christian Science Church in Palo Alto. One can find the Theophilus Allen house one block from Palo Alto's Professorville Historic District, where Craftsman-style homes thrived during the Arts and Crafts period, inhabited mainly by Stanford professors and other progressive-thinking citizens. The Craftsman homes expressed the philosophy and lifestyle attached to the Arts and Crafts movement. (Although it should be noted that the Arts &amp; Crafts movement in the U.S. is not easily defined, but it can be attached to the growing wave of progressivism during that era.)Dr. Theophilus Allen (1858-1955) proved to be a prominent community member and opened his home to many friends and neighbors; pocket doors helped close off the living room, which made it suitable for hosting meetings. Dr. Allen resided in the home until 1952, three years before his death at the age of 97.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural demonstration of the Craftsman style of design, Palo Alto's Theophilus Alien House (1905) represents the style of home design prevalent during the Arts & Crafts movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The property is also historically significant for its first owner, Theophilus Allen, who established Palo Alto's first Christian Science Church.  The Theophilus Allen house integrates various stylistic influences. Features include a Swiss chalet-style front and rear-facing low pitched single gables, Japanesque exposed and protruding exterior beams, English Tudor style diamond-paned leaded glass windows, and interior woodwork. The house resembles many of the bungalows that emerged throughout the nation, a style tied to the Prairie School and the influences of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Theophilus Allen House

The nine-thousand-square-foot Spanish Colonial Revival Pedro de Lemos House (also known as Hacienda de Lemos and Waverley Oaks) was built from 1931 to 1941 for Pedro Joseph de Lemos. Director of the Stanford University Museum of Art from 1918 to 1947, de Lemos enjoyed success as a painter, printmaker, illustrator, and architect. Pedro de Lemos (1882–1954) attended the California School of Fine Arts, the San Francisco Institute of Art, and the University of California. His academic pursuits did not include a formal study of architecture, yet his designs have enjoyed a lasting legacy in the Palo Alto region, including his own Hacienda de Lemos home. That it took ten years to finish demonstrates the passion for which Lemos had for art and design, including in the building of his own home. De Lemos was born in Austin, Nevada, but raised in Oakland, California. In addition to the previously mentioned education, he also studied at the Art Student's League and Columbia University with such lauded figures as Harry Stuart Fonda and Emile Gremke. In 1913, he accepted his first teaching position as a professor of design at Cal. As well, he worked as an illustrator and designer and began teaching classes in decorative design and etching at the San Francisco Institute of Art, where he became director in 1915. In 1918, Stanford University Museum and Art Galleries invited him to become its director; he accepted the position and remained there until 1947. His influence reached beyond the walls of Stanford, where he added to teaching duties and editor-in-chief of the School Arts Magazine to his responsibilities as director of the museum. As, editor–in–chief, he provided graphic instructions to 45,000 teachers in Native American and Colonial arts and crafts, which consequently revolutionized art education in America's classrooms. De Lemos did not just teach art, though. The Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, and at the San Francisco Exposition of 1915 all displayed his work. And, he gained fame locally as an influential architect. In addition to his home, he designed several prominent buildings in Palo Alto.

Hacienda de Lemos, also known as Waverley Oaks, was constructed during a ten-year-period from 1921-1931 by Pedro de Lemos. Lemos was the curator of the Stanford Art Museum and the founder of the Carmel Art Institute. In addition to working as a curator, De Lemos taught, published and produced successful works of art and architecture. De Lemos designed the historic house and created several of the decorative tiles found inside and outside of the house by hand. 

Hacienda de Lemos (a.k.a. Waverley Oaks, and Pedro de Lemos House)

A native of Canada, James Otterson lived in Putnam County Illinois until 1852, when the prospect of making a fortune led him to California. Like most of the successful fortune-hunters, Otterson focused on building a business rather than looking for gold.&nbsp;Otterson built a tavern and hotel at this site, which was strategically located on the road that connected the lumber producing&nbsp;communities near&nbsp;San Jose with the growing city of&nbsp;San Francisco. His tavern was called Uncle Jim's Cabin. It is believed to have been the first building in Mayfield.&nbsp; Because of its advantageous location, Uncle Jim's Cabin became a successful business. The tavern was in an ideal location to serve travelers making the trip from San Jose to San Francisco, as well as cattle ranchers who regularly drove their teams to the city this way. Later, during the Civil War, the tavern would be used as a recruitment station for the Union Army. Otterson sold the hotel in the 1850s and drops from the historical record until 1886, when he died at the&nbsp;San Mateo County Poor Farm. His remains were later moved to the Union Cemetery in Redwood City.&nbsp;

This historical marker denotes the location of the first commercial building in Mayfield, now known as Palo Alto. James Otterson constructed and maintained a small hotel at this site, providing lodging and meals to the cattlemen and lumberjacks who worked in the area when Palo Alto was heavily forested. During this period, this section of northern California produced lumber and beef instead of tech products. The hotel also served travelers and provided temporary housing for early settlers to the area. Otterson sold the hotel in the late 1850s. During the Civil War, the hotel was a gathering place for area recruiters, leading many men to sign their enlistment papers near this historical marker. 

Uncle Jim’s Cabin, 1853

In 1888, businessman Robert Norton Kee purchased several lots in the village of Mayfield. His home was completed on the site in 1889, at a cost of
$3500. Although the house was less ornate than some of its neighbors, it was considered one of the "grand" houses of its time. The following year, Kee added a barn for his draft horses, which was razed in 1938. Kee retained the house until 1910 and, after
several changes of ownership, the single-family dwelling was converted to
rental apartments in the 1930s. In the 1880s, a wealthy
farmer named Gordon who owned land in the College Terrace district christened
the district&nbsp;“Palo Alto.” However, Stanford University persuaded Gordon to allow the Palo
Alto name to go to a new village, University Park, to the north of the area, in which&nbsp;alcohol would not be permitted. The
village of Mayfield was almost 40 years old when Palo Alto was incorporated in
1894. It was formally annexed to Palo Alto in 1924.The house has a simplified Italianate design with
some Eastlake elements, with horizontal wood siding and a composition shingle, truncated
hip roof. It has two stories and an attic. Porches with turned posts and sawn
brackets appear across the front and side. The major exterior changes are the
partial enclosure of the front and side porches, and the addition of a small
apartment wing across the rear. A gazebo, tool shed, and large barn appear to belong
to the original. In short, the house retains much of its original late-19th century domestic design and character. According to its NRHP nomination form, it is significant for two reasons.&nbsp;One reason is&nbsp;that it&nbsp;"represents the type of housing afforded in
its time by the typical middle class owner of average means. Its survival
conveys something of the qualities of life and neighborly atmosphere of the era
and animates modern appreciation of those aesthetic and social values." The second reason for its significance&nbsp;is&nbsp;that it is "typical of such dwellings," in that&nbsp;it began as a single-family dwelling, but was converted into apartments for students and teacher families, a pattern repeated nationwide. The Kee House is included as one of major importance to be protected by Palo Alto's Historic Preservation Ordinance.

The Kee House is one of the oldest buildings in Palo Alto. Built in 1889 by an unknown architect, it existed when that part of Palo Alto was called the village of Mayfield, and is the oldest dwelling remaining from that community. It is also the oldest house on College Terrace, the tract where it is located. It was constructed by Robert Norton Kee, who had a transfer business in Mayfield in the 1880s. It is considered an outstanding example of the Eastlake style of Victorian architecture. 

It was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. 

Kee House

<div>Lou and Herbert Hoover had lived in the house for only one year when Hoover was appointed Secretary of Commerce in 1921. Hoover was elected to the presidency in 1928, and the family found few times when they were able to return to this home during his presidency. After Hoover was defeated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Hoovers traveled between their Stanford house and a New York apartment.</div><div> </div>After Lou Henry Hoover died in 1944, Herbert Hoover deeded the house to Stanford University. The house is now used as the home of the university president. Although the house is not open to the public for tours, the house is used to host university events and remains one of the leading historic sites on Stanford's campus. More information about Herbert Hoover: 
 Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States. Born in 1874, the future President grew up in Oregon. Hoover graduated from Stanford University as a mining engineer. After marrying his college sweetheart, Lou Henry, the couple traveled to China. In China, Hoover was the leading engineer for a private corporation. During the Boxer Rebellion, it is said that he risked his life to save Chinese children. 
 Hoover was in London celebrating his 40th birthday when Germany declared war on France. He led a committee that helped tourists, 120,000 of them, return home to the United States. Once the United States became part of the war, Hoover was appointed head of the Food Administration by President Wilson. Even after the war, he continued to help feed Europe populations through the American Relief administration. 
 Hoover became the Republican Presidential nominee in 1928. Though his campaign preached hope for a more stable economy, the stock market crashed shortly after his election. Throughout the Depression, he maintained his humanitarian mindset, urging local people to help their neighbors in need. Despite his efforts, Hoover was criticized for his dealing with the Depression and lost the 1932 election. 
 After his presidency, Hoover worked as a chairmen for both President Truman and President Eisenhower. He also wrote books and articles. Hoover died in New York City on October 20, 1964. He was 90 years old at the time of his death.&nbsp;

This historic home was constructed for the family of future American President Herbert Hoover in 1920. The Hoovers hired Stanford art professor Arthur B. Clark to design parts of the home, who agreed to the project under the condition that Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover would help him design the home. Clark and Hoover's design was unique, inspired by the architecture of great North African homes in colonial Algeria, this Mission Revival style home was designed to resist fire and blend into its hillside surroundings.

Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover House

The MacFarland House, an excellent example of the Eclectic Revival styles popular in the 1910s and 1920s on the Stanford campus and surrounding neighborhoods, enjoys historical significance because of its attachment to Dr. Frank Mace MacFarland, an extraordinary contributor to the early development of the field of marine biology in California. His house includes a laboratory and study for which he did much of his groundbreaking work, which gained worldwide recognition for its importance and influence. Marine biologist Frank Mace MacFarland was born on June 10, 1869, in Centralia, Illinois. After completing his undergraduate work at De Pauw University in 1889, he taught biology and geology at Olivet College in Michigan. In June 1892, he left the Midwest for Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. He served as an advanced student instructor at Stanford University in 1892, one year after the University first offered classes. He obtained his A.M. (Artium Magister) degree in 1893 before heading to Europe for graduate school. After returning from Europe, he became an Associate Professor of Histology at Stanford and later, in 1909, a full professor, a position he held for a quarter of a century until he retired in 1934. In addition to teaching, Dr. MacFarland served on the University's medical school admissions committee and was in charge of the University's Hopkins Marine Station from 1910 to 1913 and served as co-director from 1915 to 1917. He also served in leadership positions at the California Academy of Sciences for more than twenty-five years and served as director of the Academy's Museum and Steinhart Aquarium from 1934 to 1939. While in charge of the University's Hopkins Marine Station, he and another professor spearheaded the design of a new marine facility, essential to the study of marine organisms in their natural environment. The new facility proved so successful that prominent biologists from around the world visited the station. As well, some of the students who worked at the facility went on to win the Nobel Prize. But MacFarland's legacy mostly comes from the advancements he made in the field of microbiology, a field of science in its infancy when Dr. MacFarland began his work. Indeed, only a century before MacFarland arrived in California. scientists generally agreed that vast numbers of plants and animals lived in the oceans and along the coasts, but also that large expanses of the sea were devoid of life. (Charles Darwin once deemed ample stretches of oceans as "deserts.) However, ocean excursions and greater interest during the last three decades of the nineteenth century led to more discoveries, which led to more funding for ocean excursions and marine-life studies. Dr. MacFarland's work exemplified a meaningful trend in the overall science of biology. Though the extent of his scientific work goes beyond the scope of this entry, most agree that MacFarland gained recognition as the highest authority and influential contributor to the systematics and anatomy of opisthobranch mollusks, sea slugs, and similar organisms. His numerous publications included modernizing the standards for which microbiologists studied and researched, as well as research into the California coast. The culmination of his work was the posthumous publication of his research and scientific papers as a memoir that many consider the most comprehensive work on the opisthobranchs and remains a significant work, used by students, today. Indeed, it was Frank's wife, Olive, with whom he married in 1902, who led an effort to finish his work after Dr. MacFarland died suddenly in 1951 during a meeting at the California Academy of Sciences. Olive, a fellow Stanford graduate, had worked with her husband for years; she produced delicate watercolor paintings of mollusks for Frank's scientific publications. The final work -- Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume VI, Studies of Opisthobranchiate Mollusks of the Pacific Coast of North America -- weighed more than seven pounds. Dr. Frank M. MacFarland and Olive lived at 775 Santa Ynez Street for thirty-seven years (1914-1951) during the most productive decades of his career. The house enjoyed a design that included a laboratory and study for his work.

The historic house was constructed in 1914 and was home to microbiologist Frank MacFarland and his wife, Olive. Frank MacFarland served as a member of Stanford faculty for almost sixty years and is credited with revolutionizing aspects of the field of microbiology in addition to taking a leading role in the organization of the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory (now Hopkins Marine Station). MacFarland's academic and scientific work gained him worldwide acclaim. Olive and Frank MacFarland lived in the home, which included a laboratory, from 1914 to 1951.

MacFarland House

Hanna House,
initially, was a Usonian design, but its numerous expansions over the 25
years after it was built priced it beyond the means of middle-class Americans. When designed, it was&nbsp;estimated to cost $15,000
but cost overruns shot the final&nbsp;price to $37,000 and the house grew as the
Hanna family did. The family occupied
the house until 1975, when it was donated to the university.&nbsp; It has remained in their possession since.

The Hanna House
is built primarily of native redwood and San Jose concrete, brick and
glass. In fact, there is no paint
present in the house as all exposed surfaces are comprised of those four
materials. Wright, as he usually did,
blurred the lines between interior and exterior spaces. Built on 1.5 acres, the
single-story house features numerous tile terraces, built-in furnishings, an
open floor plan and a central clerestory. In addition to the main house, there is also a guest house, hobby shop,
storage building, double garage, carport, breezeway, and garden house with
small pools and a cascading waterfall present on the grounds.

The house
was the home to four provosts until it was badly damaged in the Loma Prieta
Earthquake of 1989. It then went through
a decade long restoration effort and reopened in 1999. Stanford permits three, hour long tours every
Sunday. However, those tours are booked
months in advance.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Located on the Stanford University campus, the Hanna House was designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Built in 1937, Hanna House (sometimes referred to as Honeycomb House) was constructed for long-time Stanford professor Paul Hanna and his wife Jean. The home is unique in the Wright pantheon due to its incorporation of hexagonal modules and non-rectangular design and is a designated National Historic Landmark.  Unfortunately, it is only open to the public for tours on Sundays.  

Hanna House

Miranda (1802-1889) was born in what is present-day Santa Cruz. When she was&nbsp;18 years old she married a soldier stationed a the Presidio in San Francisco.&nbsp;Taking her children with her, Miranda eventually left her abusive husband and bought the large property in 1844. She farmed, raised cattle, and operated a dairy (she did these activities at a home in what is today North Beach), selling milk and trading cowhides for tools, household items, and clothing. Miranda also worked as a nurse and a midwife. She had a deep knowledge of herbs and it's said that the community of Yerba Buena was named for her healing herbs. Miranda proved an astute businesswoman, earning the respect of her peers. Her decision to leave her husband was unusual at the time but she was able to secure support, including that of the Bishop of Santa Barbara. She was also able to retain all of her land after California became a state in 1850. The federal government required all landowners to verity their ownership. Though she was illiterate, she was wise enough to keep all of her property records and hired trustworthy people to represent her. In this way she retained her land; other landowners&nbsp;were not so lucky. Miranda is so highly regarded among the early settlers of the area that today there is a school and a park in Palo Alto named in her memory.&nbsp;

This historical marker is located just a block from the former home of one of the most remarkable women in California's history: Juana Briones de Miranda. Juana Briones built a ranch and eventually owned over 4,000 acres in this area. The successful rancher and farmer achieved her wealth and influence while also raising seven children as a single mother. Awareness of this remarkable California woman grew following the 2008 release of a book about her life, but despite efforts by historians and preservationists to save her former adobe home, the structure was demolished in 2014. Remnants and items of the house are located at the California Historical Society. A large portion of the former ranch is part of the Esther Clark Nature Preserve.

Historical Marker: Site of Juana Briones de Miranda Home on Rancho La Purisima Concepción

The historical marker claims that&nbsp;Susan B. Anthony and&nbsp;Elizabeth&nbsp;Cady&nbsp;Stanton visited this site. As demonstrated by the work of local historian Steve Saiger, this claim may be misleading as&nbsp;Wallis was forced to sell the farm in 1875. Wallis continued to live in the area and she did host&nbsp;meetings attended by local women who were active in the community. Although it misleading to label all who attended these meetings "suffragists,"&nbsp;these early women's rights advocates were&nbsp;interested in the question of how women might exert more influence in local affairs. This sentiment might seem conservative today, but was an important step in the leading women to challenge their exclusion from public life.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is possible that&nbsp;national suffrage leaders called on Wallis at her home, but more likely that Wallis&nbsp;communicated&nbsp;with them via&nbsp;correspondence. Wallis died in 1905, and the Wallis home at Mayfield Farm&nbsp;was destroyed by fire in 1936.&nbsp; The marker also claims that&nbsp;Ulysses S. Grant was a visitor to the Wallis home. While Joseph Wallis was a local judge, local historian David Woodburry&nbsp;and rangers at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historical Site have been unable to find firm evidence that Grant visited Palo Alto during his trip to San Francisco.&nbsp;

This historical marker honors the life of early Palo ALto settler and women's suffrage pioneer Sarah Armstrong Wallis. Wallis traveled across the Great Plains with her family in the summer of 1844-prior to the United States' acquisition of California from Mexico. In 1856, she and her husband Joseph established a farm in the area now known as Barron Park in 1856. The Wallis' were leading investors in local railroad companies, and as a result, well-connected in area politics. In 1870, Sarah Wallis became the first president of the organization that grew to become the California State Woman Suffrage Education Association. The marker is located in the midst of what was once the Mayfield Farm, the home of Sarah Armstron Wallis until the economic depression of the mid-1870s forced her to sell the property. Despite her financial difficulties, she maintained local influence and corresponded with many national suffrage leaders such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. 

Sarah Armstrong Wallis Homesite

The Palo Alto Greenmeadow development (1954-55), comprised of 243 single-family homes and one community pool, arose at a time when the nation experienced an explosion of suburban communities and subsequent mass-produced (pre-fab) residential construction. Joseph Eichler (Eichler Homes, Inc), who built more than 11,000 homes in Northern California between 1950 and 1974, designed the community as part of his efforts to buck the “cookie-cutter” approach to suburban construction.As well, the culture of the 1950s, centered on the nuclear family, inspired many of the design features, as did the California climate. Ten million veterans returned home at the close of World War II in 1945, and they quickly began building families (which led to the “baby boom”). As a result, a substantial housing boom ensued notably in California where the population grew at a greater rate than any other state in the nation. Veterans who had shipped out of California often chose to stay and numerous others from around the country migrated to the “Sunshine State.” The federal government provided the building boom with considerable momentum From 1945 to 1955, the government passed numerous bills that both made it easy for returning GIs to afford housing, but also provided incentives to builders. Builders doubled production from the 1940s to 1950s with mass-produced, tract housing leading the industry; tract housing accounted for more than 60% of the total housing market by 1959 compared to 24% in 1949 and 5% in the late ‘30s. Most of the mass-produced, suburban homes lacked quality. Eichler's company sought to become an exception to that trend, demonstrated by the Greenmeadow neighborhood. Eichler and his company avoided contracting “middle men,” but instead oversaw each part of the building process including land acquisition, development, construction, financing, and marketing. Furthermore, his company chose to rely on architects to design houses that allowed for unique, individual designs and aesthetics. His efforts went against the wishes of federally-supported programs and funding; building and planning authorities routinely withheld support for his designs. The Federal Housing Authority, imposed a number of restrictive design guidelines because they feared that anything out of the ordinary would unfairly sell better than most (tax incentivised) buildiers. Eichler with company co-founder James San Jule as his negotiating partner traveled to D.C. to lobby against the restrictions. Though he eventually gained an ability to design homes as he wished, he also had to appeal to a home-buying community that increasingly got used to the looks of standard tract housing. Nevertheless, Eichler embraced modern design and chose to market aggressively. By 1954, when construction of Greenmeadow took place, Eichler’s company, based in Palo Alto, had built approximately 1,800 modern houses on the peninsula, and received acclaim from peers and popular sources alike for the company’s housing designs. As well, by the mid-1950s, with a booming economy (notably for whie Americans), desires by many moved not merely to new homes, but better-quality and larger homes. The Greenmeadow development met this demand as homes including a fourth bedroom. The Greenmeadow homes also spoke to the 1950s culture reflected the prosperity enjoyed by the middle class, and focused on the nuclear family. Besides the fourth bedroom, the homes included double-car garages instead of carports; multipurpose rooms set apart from adult living spaces, kitchens with built-in appliances, modern laundry rooms, and second bathrooms for children with its own exterior entrance, which allowed children to enter without tracking dirt in the home. Meanwhile, the 'T-shaped' plan allowed for wives (moms) to function in the kitchen while in full view of outdoor spaces (keep an eye on the kids). Lastly, the California climate also inspired Eichler to design homes that celebrated indoor-outdoor living. The T-shape also allowed for more patio space and full-height, sliding-glass doors allowed access to any of the outdoor spaces. Finally, in terms of the neighborhood layout, and the concept of "total community,” the Eichler company carved out space at the center of the subdivision for shared public amenities including a large pool. Thus, to see the Greenmeadow subdivision is to peer into the window of America’s (and California’s) 1950s cultural history. The homes, despite differing from many of the standard tract housing that arose during the era, stand as reminders to the prosperity enjoyed by much of the middle class during that era, the focus on the “traditional” family, and the desire to enjoy the outdoor spaces -- patios, green lawns, grills and a community pool.

Built during the 1950s, the Greenmeadow Subdivision embody the 1950s culture comprised of suburban living, the nuclear family, and indoor-outdoor living. However, the homes differ from most tract housing developments that dominated suburban construction. Joseph Eichler, who built more than 11,000 homes in Northern California during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, bucked the "cookie cutter" trend by employing architects and relying on modern designs. 

Greenmeadow Subdivision in Palo Alto 

Henry Rengstorff (1829-1906) grew up in Germany where he was the son of a tavern owner/ educator. Rengstorff was drawn to the west coast of America by rumors of gold; he arrived in San Francisco at age 21 in 1850. However, he was a bit too late to make it in mining and found employment in the shipping and agricultural industries in the area. Around 1855, Henry married Christine Hassler, another German native, in San Jose; the couple went on to have seven children. He eventually amassed a small fortune and soon had large land holdings of six farms in multiple counties. He purchased 164 acres in 1864 (1.5 miles north of town of Mountain View) where he built his historic home. The two-story, wood frame, 16-room grand house combined elements of Georgian Neo-Classical and Italianate styles. Rengstorff added a boat landing further north to serve as a shipping port for the region's grain and other products. Their home farm was used to grow grain and hay. In 1870, Henry (age 40) was a farmer who owned $65,000 in real estate and $2,000 in personal property. He shared his home with wife Christine (39) and children Mary (12), John (10), Eliza (9), Lena (8), Nannie (6), and Henry Jr. (3). Also living in the home were Nannie Small (13) and a carpenter, Anthony William (29). The children were all natives of California; Ms. Small was illiterate and may have been a servant; the carpenter was born in Maine. Henry later donated part of his land to hold the Whisman School, a public school.Six of the Rengstorff children lived to adulthood and some moved from the area. Eventually, son Henry Jr. became the manager of the Rengstorff landing and its warehouse. Mary married A. C. Martel. John H. married and moved to Alaska. Elise married William F. Haag, Helena married Dr. O. P. Askam, and Christine F. married Robert McMillan. Another son, Charles W., passed away when he was a young child. Henry Sr. was elected a Senior Deacon of the Mountain View Masonic Lodge No. 194 in 1891; he served as a Master in 1896 and a Marshal in 1898. Mrs. (Christine) Rengstorff was a member of the Mountain View Women's Club, formed in 1904, and became their First Vice-President by 1906. The couple were members of the Presbyterian Church. Henry died in 1906 at age 77; Christine lived until 1919. The Rengstorff House passed to daughter Elise Haag and her husband, who lived in the home by the early 1920s. Henry Jr. was living on a ranch in Mountain View by the early 1920s. The home then transferred to Elise's adopted nephew, Perry Askam who sold the home to land developers in 1959. The home and land then passed through the hands of numerous owners over the next twenty years. It was also abandoned and vandalized during this time but was saved from demolition when the city of Mountain View purchased it in 1979. The home was then moved from its original location (1737 Stierlin Rd., previously Bay Rd.) to a temporary location and then to its current location, restored to its Victorian grandeur, and dedicated as a public site in 1991. Three days a week, tours of the house and grounds are led by volunteer docents in period costumes as they discuss the home’s history, the story of the Rengstorff family, the Victorian furnishings and daily life in late 19th century Mountain View. The house sponsors numerous Victorian themed events throughout the year, to include its Annual Spring Tea every March, Where History Meets Haunting: Inventions and Imaginations every Halloween, and holiday events in December. The grounds feature a restored windmill, a replica Tank House, and gardens.

Built sometime around 1867, the Rengstorff House is considered the first built in Mountain View. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the twelve room, 4,000 square foot mansion was built by German immigrant Henry Rengstorff on 164 acres that is now part of Shoreline Business Park. The house was moved to another part of the property twice in the 1980s to save it from demolition and was restored in 1991. The house and grounds are currently open for public tours and is a popular site for Bay Area couples to get married.

Historic Homes of Palo Alto

El Palo Nuevo

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information