Missing From Chabot Canyon – The Other Maybeck and its Neighbor

Foster Goldstrom holds court at the Bernard Maybeck-designed Guy Hyde Chick House during an OHA tour of Chabot Canyon in 2016. As the owner and caretaker since 1978, Goldstrom reviews the survival of this home through natural disasters and public works projects. But did you know a second Maybeck home in the canyon was not so fortunate?

L160-05-Amelia Marshall Photo, Courtesy Amelia Marshall, (Image 1 of 32)

This southwest view circa 1925 along Chabot Rd. shows the Guy Hyde Chick house, chimney to the right, the George Mott, Jr. house, the next structure to the left with chimney, and the B.D. Marx Greene house along the left or east edge.

L160-10-Eston Cheney Photo D-1380-C, Courtesy John Bosko, Detail, (Image 2 of 32)

A detail from L160-10, southwest view circa 1925, shows the B.D. Marx Greene home along Temescal Creek designed by the firm of Maybeck and White in 1916. “Who’s Who in Berkeley, 1917” listed attorney-at-law Breckinridge David Marx Greene as being born in San Francisco on Dec. 19th, 1884, son of F. M. Greene, educated at Salisbury School, England, and Harvard. His resume includes City Attorney for Antioch and Pittsburg as well as for Berkeley.

L160-15-Eston Cheney Photo D-1380-C, Courtesy John Bosko, Detail, (Image 3 of 32)

The 1950s decade was a busy time for the California Department of Public Works, Division of Highways, the immediate precursor to the California Department of Transportation or CALTRANS. District IV, in particular, was engaged in the procurement of land for construction of all the major highways throughout Oakland, namely 980, 880, 580, 13 and, for this historical recounting, Highway 24.

L160-20-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 4 of 32)

House by house, lot by lot, properties were carefully evaluated as to their fair market value relative to recent sales of comparable homes in the area and the contents of the property down to every last detail. The particular dossier in question from 1959 reviewed two homes on the south side of Chabot Rd., numbers 7200 and 7240, in the path of the projected right-of-way of Highway 24.

L160-25-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 5 of 32)

District IV produced detailed maps to show the position of key structures and landmarks for each property such as this one from Chabot Canyon.

L160-30-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 6 of 32)

A detail from L160-30 showing a green outline around 7200 Chabot Rd. and a red outline around the lot for 7240 Chabot Rd.

L160-35-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 7 of 32)

The District IV assessment for number 7200 is shown here. The comparable land sales noted on the appraisal page, left, will be shown in a future section of the topic of homes lost or modified on Chabot Rd.

L160-40-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 8 of 32)

An image of number 7200 is shown here, presumed to be as seen from the Chabot Rd. side viewed to the south. Although not shown on the detailed map, Temescal Creek was located just beyond the drop-off from the picnic table.

L160-45-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 9 of 32)

Based on the lighting, a presumed north view of number 7200.

L160-50-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436 , (Image 10 of 32)

A detailed itemized accounting of the property of number 7200 indicating it was built by the owner in 1951.

L160-55-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436 , (Image 11 of 32)

Next, a comparison, Maybeck versus Maybeck. These documents provide the appraisal of number 7240, the B.D. Marx Greene House, left, compared to the 1958 sale of number 7133, the Guy Hyde Chick House, right. The documents speak for themselves. The buyer of 7133, Stuart Dole, was indeed part of the Dole family that owned the company of the same name.

L160-60-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 12 of 32)

District IV provided a detailed itemized accounting of the two properties. Oakland City records show the building permit no. 41811 for no. 7240 dated Apr. 18, 1916 noting a construction cost of 6500 dollars, and building permit no. 36525 for no. 7133 dated Sept. 22, 1914 with a construction cost of 10,000 dollars.

L160-65-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 13 of 32)

Now for the images of the homes in question starting with this 21st century west view of the survivor, 7133 Chabot Rd., the Guy Hyde Chick house. When the home was built, the permit listed it as “North Side 59th, 200 Feet West of Roble Rd.”.

L160-70-Courtesy Foster Goldstrom, (Image 14 of 32)

Next a south view of number 7133 taken from Roble Rd. in 1959.

L160-75-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 15 of 32)

In addition to showing the lush vegetation partially obscuring number 7133 in 1959, this northeast view also appears to have captured a part of 7117 Chabot, artist Maurice Logan's home, along the left edge.

L160-80-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 16 of 32)

Now on to number 7240, the entrance seen to the east of this east view off of Roble Rd. The building permit located the home to “South Side Chabot Tract, Lots 7 and 8, Block L”. Note the intersection with Marie Way in the background. The home even further east will be covered in a future presentation.

L160-85-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 17 of 32)

Page 176 of Kenneth Cardwell’s "Bernard Maybeck, Artisan, Architect and Artist" published in 1977 by Peregrine Smith provides a north view as well as a floor plan of number 7240. Appreciation to Madge Baird and Gibbs Smith for permission to reproduce this page.

L160-90-Courtesy Gibbs Smith, (Image 18 of 32)

A north view of number 7240 from 1959. Wrote Cardwell, “Dormers and sleeping porches accented the outline of the building formed by two and three-story blocks, each gabled and roofed with red pan tiles. The eaves were wide and low. Darkened beveled siding covered the walls, and lush growth concealed much of the brick veneer that surrounded the entrance”.

L160-95-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 19 of 32)

The staircase as seen in this 1956 image was a highlight. Cardwell added on the firm of Maybeck and his brother-in-law, Mark White, ”Although the office did not supervise construction, the house achieved an easy repose on the site”. Image ref: Bernard Maybeck Collection, 17-015-003

L160-100-Courtesy Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 20 of 32)

Large windows and a fireplace dominated the living room as shown in 1956. Cardwell also noted that “From its entry, vistas through the house into the garden foretold an open plan”. Image ref: Bernard Maybeck Collection, 17-015-001

L160-105-Courtesy Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 21 of 32)

A detail of the fireplace from 1956. One aside is that Cardwell, as well as “Transactions of the Commonwealth Club, 1918”, listed number 7240 as being in Berkeley rather than Oakland. David Gowen noted this designation was based on the postal delivery address rather than on city borders. Image ref: Bernard Maybeck Collection, 17-015-001

L160-110-Courtesy Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 22 of 32)

Wrote Cardwell, “its living and dining rooms opened into sunny southern terraces which provided garden spaces for eating and relaxation”. This 1956 image shows the living room opening to a patio area. Image ref: Bernard Maybeck Collection, 17-015-002

L160-115-Courtesy Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 23 of 32)

A detail of the french doors and patio area from 1956. The complete architectural plans and some inventory invoices of number 7240 can be found at the Environmental Design Archives at the University of California, Berkeley. Appreciation to Waverly Lowell and Chis Marino at the Archives. Image ref: Bernard Maybeck Collection, 17-015-001

L160-120-Courtesy Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 24 of 32)

A 1959 view of a shed and play structures toward Temescal Creek, across from which is the outline of an ornamental fountain or pool. Caldwell concluded, “The vines and creepers growing on the building accounted in part for its assimilation into the landscape, but the form of the house fitted both the ground which sloped towards the stream, and the tall trees which sheltered its northern entrance”.

L160-125-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 25 of 32)

The process of trying to put a value on number 7240 begins with these two documents from District IV. Note the reference to a magazine article that can be found at the Environmental Design Library at UC Berkeley. The article did not mention number 7240 as stated, although it did have two images that were unlabeled, but appeared to be of the house.

L160-130-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 26 of 32)

Two more documents used by District IV to arrive at a valuation for number 7240.

L160-135-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5436, (Image 27 of 32)

Next some aerial documentation to compare what is known about the eventual razing of number 7240. This north-oriented aerial from 1956 shows number 7240, yellow arrow, and number 7133, blue arrow. The dense vegetation obscures the identification of 7200, and the red arrow indicates its position relative to the District IV diagram.

L160-140-RM Towill Photo, Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkele, (Image 28 of 32)

The statement is made on Page 177 of Kenneth Cardwell’s "Bernard Maybeck, Artisan, Architect and Artist" that number 7240 was “destroyed in 1962 .... ironically, the land was not used and was later sold for residential development”. Evaluation of this statement starts with this east view of Chabot Canyon from Aug. 19, 1963.

L160-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 9973-2 , (Image 29 of 32)

This detail from an east view of Chabot Canyon from Aug. 19, 1963 shows 7240 Chabot Rd., yellow arrow, is still intact, although the lot of number 7200, red arrow, has been cleared.

L160-150 -Copyright California Department of Transportation, 9973-2 Detail, (Image 30 of 32)

No homes remain on the south side of Chabot Rd. in the path of Highway 24 construction in this west view from July 21, 1967. Purchase of the cleared lot of number 7240 for “residential development” could not be confirmed, and nothing has been built on that site to date. What remains to be determined is whether there was any interest or effort to relocate the house before it was destroyed.

L160-155-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 13947-1, Detail , (Image 31 of 32)

This 1935 north view will be used to tally the homes reviewed in Chabot Canyon so far, including the home and barn covered in the landmark “Accounts of The Heimbold Legacy at Roble Road”. Appreciation to Mike Meloy, John Bosko, Gail Lombardi, Betty Marvin, Amelia Marshall, Daniella Thompson and Chabot Canyon residents Foster Goldstrom and David Gowen.

L160-160-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy E. Bay Regional Park Distr, (Image 32 of 32)