College Terrace, Palo Alto, California facts for kids

College Terrace is a friendly neighborhood in Palo Alto, California. It's right next to Stanford University, a famous college. This area is known for its quiet streets and many parks. It's a great place to live and learn!

Exploring College Terrace

College Terrace is a neighborhood made up of homes. It stretches about 12 blocks long and two blocks wide. You can find it between South California Avenue and Stanford Avenue, from Amherst Street to El Camino Real. College Avenue runs right through the middle of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood is very close to Escondido Village. This is a student living area on the southern edge of Stanford University. College Terrace also has its own branch of the Palo Alto Public Library. This library was built in 1936. It features the beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival style. It was a project of the WPA.

Parks and Green Spaces

The original plan for College Terrace included four parks, and they are all still here today! They are perfect for playing and relaxing.

• Donaldina M. Cameron Park: This park is on Wellesley Street. It was first called Berkeley Park. In 1968, it was renamed to honor Donaldina Cameron, who lived in College Terrace for a long time.
• Mayfield Park: You'll find Mayfield Park on Wellesley Street, right next to the College Terrace Library. It was first known as Hollywood Park before its name changed in 1968.
• William C. Werry Park: This park is on Dartmouth Street. It was originally called Eton Park. In 1968, it was renamed for William C. Werry, a former Postmaster of Palo Alto.
• Frederick W. Weisshaar Park: This park is also on Dartmouth Street. It was first called Hampton Park. In 1968, it was renamed for Frederick W. Weisshaar. He was an early owner of the land where College Terrace now stands. He also helped manage the Mayfield school district.

Community Places

College Terrace is home to three places of worship for different faiths:

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• The Chabad House
• University Lutheran Church

Street Names and Famous Residents

Many streets in College Terrace are named after well-known colleges and universities on the East Coast. These include Amherst, Bowdoin, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Oberlin, Princeton, Cornell, Wellesley, Williams, and Yale.

Some famous people have lived in College Terrace. These include the architect Birge Clark, the religious scholar Robert McAfee Brown, and the folk singer Joan Baez.

History of College Terrace

This map from 1890 shows the area that would become College Terrace. It also shows Stanford University when it was still being built.

The community of College Terrace began in 1887. Two men, Peter Spacher and Frederick Weisshaar, owned the land. They had previously not wanted to sell it to Leland Stanford. Stanford owned the land all around their property. Eventually, Spacher and Weisshaar sold the land to Alexander Gordon.

Alexander Gordon then divided the land into smaller pieces. He also planned and named the streets and parks. Gordon first called the new neighborhood "Palo Alto." However, Leland Stanford asked him to change the name. So, Gordon renamed it "College Terrace." The name "Palo Alto" then became the name for another new community nearby. That community had started as "University Park."

In 1891, College Terrace became part of a nearby, older community called Mayfield. Later, in 1925, Mayfield itself became part of the city of Palo Alto.