Preservation Park facts for kids
Preservation Park is a special place in Oakland, California. It's like stepping back in time to a neighborhood from the late 1800s! This park has sixteen old buildings, and each one tells a unique story. Five of these buildings are still in their original spots, but eleven others were carefully moved here from different parts of Oakland to save them from being torn down.
Exploring the Historic Homes of Preservation Park
Preservation Park is home to many beautiful old buildings, each with its own history. They are arranged to look like a neighborhood from the late 1800s.
- Remillard House: This house is built in the Queen Anne style. Its owner, Pierre Remillard, made bricks, and his bricks were used in the nearby First Unitarian Church of Oakland. A tutor named Lilly Remillard even taught the famous writer Jack London here!
- Ginn House: This home shows off the English Arts and Crafts style. Frederick Burrell Ginn and his wife Mary Crocker asked architect A. Page Brown to design it. Brown also worked on the famous San Francisco Ferry Building.
- Nile Club (or Nile Hall): This building is in the Craftsman style. It was once a special club for important men in Oakland and had a theater. Later, it was used by the USO, which supports military members. Charles W. Dickey, who designed this building, also worked on the Claremont Hotel.
- Thornton House: Another Queen Anne style home, it belonged to a wealthy businessman named Thornton. It was built when the Sather House and Garden were across the street. Jane Sather, who lived there, gave money for Sather Gate and Sather Tower at UC Berkeley.
- Higgins House: This Italianate style house belonged to Elisha Higgins, who sold lumber in San Francisco.
- White House: This Italianate home was owned by Ellen Gould White and James White. They were important figures in the Seventh-day Adventist church and started a newspaper called "Sign of the Times." Today, this building holds the Preservation Park offices and a cafe.
- Knox-Buckley House: This Italianate Villa was first owned by Henry Knox, a dentist from San Francisco. It was the very last house moved to Preservation Park.
- Bartling House: An Italianate Row House, it originally stood near where a freeway overpass is now. William Bartling, who owned it, was a partner in a bookbinding company.
- Park House: This Italianate Villa belonged to Charles O. Park, who painted train cars for the Central Pacific Railroad. This house was actually moved twice before finding its home here!
- Robinson House: A charming Queen Anne Cottage, it was owned by Gertrude and W.H. Robinson. It was first built in an area called Fruit Vale, which we now know as Fruitvale.
- Standeford House: Built in the Shingle style for Miss Stella Standeford. Her father worked at the San Francisco Mint. She later married John F. Conners, who owned a newspaper called the Oakland Enquirer.
- Bauske House: This Queen Anne Cottage was built by Reinhold Bauske, a dentist, for his wife, Hazel. It was originally located near Glen Echo Creek.
- Trowbridge House: This Stick Style home was built by a very rich man, Frederick William Delger, for his daughter Lillie and her new husband, Henry Trowbridge. It used to be behind the Fox Oakland Theater.
- Jacobs House: A Queen Anne style rowhouse with two apartments inside. Jacobs was a tailor trained in Prussia. His house was originally on 16th Street, and his neighbor was a famous pianist and painter, Pauline Powell Burns.
- Raymond House: This Colonial Revival style house belonged to William J. Raymond, a physics professor at the University of California. The university was located nearby at that time.
- Hunt House: A Queen Anne Cottage, it was owned by George C. Hunt, who worked with horses and owned stables with his brother.
Other Special Structures
Besides the houses, there are two other important structures in the park:
- The Bandstand: A classic spot for music and gatherings.
- Latham-Ducel Fountain: This beautiful cast iron fountain was made in Paris, France! It shows the moon goddess Diana and pretty leaf designs. It used to be at a place called Latham House and Gardens.
Visiting Preservation Park
Preservation Park is open to everyone during the day. While you can't go inside the historic buildings, you can walk around and enjoy the park. Many groups rent out areas for parties, meetings, and weddings. Also, many non-profit organizations have their offices here.
The park is surrounded by 12th Street, Castro Street, 14th Street, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. A street called 13th Street goes into the park and ends at the Latham-Ducel Fountain. Preservation Park Way is a one-way street that starts at the fountain and ends at 12th Street.
- Prentice, Helaine Kaplan. Brubaker, Andrew. Marvin, Betty. Oakland Redevelopment Agency. (1996). Through These Doors: Discovering Oakland at Preservation Park. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-072811. ISBN: 0-9650265-0-7.
