The Garden Alameda neighborhood has a nice pocket of homes on Pershing, Harding, Hoover and Schiele Avenues called the Alameda Park Subdivision that are worth walking by.
The oldest section is Schiele Avenue where six homes have made it on the city's list of historic resources. There are two other homes that are hopefully waiting restoration. If you need an incentive to buy and fix up a historic home I encourage you to look at the city of San Jose's incentives. If you need help restoring your Victorian be sure to check out the Victorian Preservation Association of Santa Clara Valley.
Here are just some of the great finds you'll come across by walking Schiele Avenue which is between The Alameda and Stockton Avenues.
The oldest section is Schiele Avenue where six homes have made it on the city's list of historic resources. There are two other homes that are hopefully waiting restoration. If you need an incentive to buy and fix up a historic home I encourage you to look at the city of San Jose's incentives. If you need help restoring your Victorian be sure to check out the Victorian Preservation Association of Santa Clara Valley.
Here are just some of the great finds you'll come across by walking Schiele Avenue which is between The Alameda and Stockton Avenues.
@ 899 Schiele Ave, San Jose, CA 95126 - Lenzen Designed Home? Built 1885. Queen Anne Style
Little Free Library @ 936 Schiele Avenue
Wow! What a great find. This is the second Little Free Library that I've found in our neighborhood. The folks in this Park Alameda subdivision are lucky to have a book exchange box for sharing favorite books. The neighborhood has a rich history with its own Literary Club!
If you want to participate just bring a favorite book you'd like to give away and see if one of the available books suits your fancy. If not just head over to 931 Myrtle Street and see if the College Park Little Free Library has what you are in the mood for.
If you want to participate just bring a favorite book you'd like to give away and see if one of the available books suits your fancy. If not just head over to 931 Myrtle Street and see if the College Park Little Free Library has what you are in the mood for.
Memorial To Trayvon Martin @ 714 Schiele Avenue
 @ 714 Schiele Ave, San Jose, CA 95126  Skittle Skedaddle  Schiele Avenue's Neighborhood Watch | At the Stockton Avenue end of Schiele Avenue is a memorial to the Florida killing of troubled seventeen year old Trayvon Martin (1995-2012) by Neighborhood Watch Volunteer George Zimmerman. The memorial consists of Trayvon's name spelled out in wax on a Sycamore tree with Skittle bags attached. The only thing missing is the Arizona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail that probably gets picked up by the transients looking to cash in cans and bottles not realizing it is part of a memorial. The incident involved a young black male walking thru a gated community where he was not known. It had tragic consequences and prompted a nationwide soul searching about the kind of communities we are creating. It is one of who belongs in a neighborhood and who looks suspicious. Of building gated communities and leaving out sidewalks, posting No Trespassing signs and using armed volunteers to chase out trouble makers. Could it happen here? Our neighborhood is already on edge with transients, solicitors and opportunistic thieves, but we are lucky that San Jose is ranked #1 in the US for being the most ethnically diverse. Sadly the only group not well represented in San Jose is African Americans who only representing 2% of our population, vs 13% nationwide. The memorial gave me pause to think if I would enjoy my walks through our neighborhood if I looked like Travyon? I did some soul searching about how the erosion of communities and broken families creates "dangerous" strangers in our midst. I hope you'll be encouraged to walk past this memorial and come to your own answer as to how we should treat people we encounter in our neighborhood. |
These Boots are made for walking @ 946 Schiele Ave
Little Lost Jackie Alden - Feb 5, 1935 @ 946 Schiele Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126
The Almost Baseball Stadium @ Schiele Avenue
Alamdea Real Building @ 1602 The Alameda Back in 1902 the large vacant lot at the South West corner of Schiele Avenue and The Alameda was planned to be San Jose's entrance into baseball. Back then there was no objections from San Francisco who had yet to woo the Giants from New York!
The nearby Agricultural Park had easy access to the "San Jose and Santa Clara Electric Railway" but didn't allow for rigs (which turns out to be horses with carriages) and was in disrepair and this corner was the first choice. For whatever reason it didn't happen.
Today the corner is home to the Alameda Real Building. San Jose did build a baseball field six years later at Sodality Park in 1908 (where Orchard Hardware is today). It was home to the Pacific Coast League's San Jose Red Sox (a farm team). Seems funny that today, over 100 years later, we are still waiting for our first big time baseball team.
The nearby Agricultural Park had easy access to the "San Jose and Santa Clara Electric Railway" but didn't allow for rigs (which turns out to be horses with carriages) and was in disrepair and this corner was the first choice. For whatever reason it didn't happen.
Today the corner is home to the Alameda Real Building. San Jose did build a baseball field six years later at Sodality Park in 1908 (where Orchard Hardware is today). It was home to the Pacific Coast League's San Jose Red Sox (a farm team). Seems funny that today, over 100 years later, we are still waiting for our first big time baseball team.
J.E. Wing's California Apiaries
Tribute to Schiele Avenue's Bee Man Back in 1921 Schiele Avenue was home to John E. Wing's California Apiaries. The large bee hive business address is listed as 155 Schiele Avenue which is still lost thanks to street renumbering in the 1930s. If I come across an old map with house numbers I'll update the address. It was described as a junkyard lot humming with thousands of wood screened bee hives on it.
It was part of our neighborhood's historic ties to the fruit canning business where orchardists needed industrial scale bee hive colonies ready to ship to orchards. Edith Daley of the San Jose Evening News has a great interview with J.E. Wing in the March 1921 editions of the paper. Wing was responsible for many innovations including the importation of new queen bees, selling bees by the pound, using screen cases, shipping hives to be placed directly in the orchards during spring blossoms and finding ways to feed a hive. John E. Wing (1879-1963).
It was part of our neighborhood's historic ties to the fruit canning business where orchardists needed industrial scale bee hive colonies ready to ship to orchards. Edith Daley of the San Jose Evening News has a great interview with J.E. Wing in the March 1921 editions of the paper. Wing was responsible for many innovations including the importation of new queen bees, selling bees by the pound, using screen cases, shipping hives to be placed directly in the orchards during spring blossoms and finding ways to feed a hive. John E. Wing (1879-1963).
Charles M. Schiele
If you are wondering why it is called Schiele Avenue you have to learn more about Charles M. Schiele (1850-1896). Born in Bemberg, Germany and immigrated to California at age 22. He was a Prussian Soldier fighting the French, a grocer, gold miner, waiter, hotel owner (Pacific Hotel, New York Exchange Hotel and the Auzerais House) and successful real estate developer. He married Ellen O'Brien and became San Jose's City Councilman for the First Ward in 1886. He died at age 46 near his ranch in Los Gatos. You can tour a recreation of his Pacific Hotel at San Jose's History Park.
Schiele Avenue was named when Charles bought "The Alameda Gardens" from John F. Hill and subdivided the 15 acres into 70 lots that featured stone sidewalks and street shade trees for great walks along the new Schiele Avenue. Transportation on the electric railroad on The Alameda and cars on Stockton Avenue were also a selling point. Charles M. Schiele also developed nearby Magnolia Avenue.
Schiele Avenue was named when Charles bought "The Alameda Gardens" from John F. Hill and subdivided the 15 acres into 70 lots that featured stone sidewalks and street shade trees for great walks along the new Schiele Avenue. Transportation on the electric railroad on The Alameda and cars on Stockton Avenue were also a selling point. Charles M. Schiele also developed nearby Magnolia Avenue.
Ad for Schieles' Alameda Garden Tract on June 2, 1890
Clark Mansion @ Schiele Ave & The Alameda
The Clark Mansion @ 1550 The Alameda between Schiele Ave and Pershing Ave
When folks talk about the grand mansions of The Alameda this is what they were referring to. This once grand dame of The Alameda was built in 1870 by William Squire Clark at the NE corner of 9th & Santa Clara Street. Around 1880 William supposedly became tired of all the church bells ringing downtown and decided to move the home to property he bought at 1550 The Alameda from F.W. Burr. He had the home placed on a large 7 acre lot between Schiele and Pershing Avenues and planted a forest of trees in front. He was a wealthy man having made his fortune building San Francisco's first timbered wharf before the gold rush.
In 1889 William died having outlived his wife and son. The estate was broken up among his surviving four daughters, one who later committed suicide and had her portion of the estate contested.
From 1900 to 1920 it was the home of William's daughter Alice Ann Clark and her husband Jerome Hart, a well known writer and publisher who were married in the gardens at the estate.
In 1889 William died having outlived his wife and son. The estate was broken up among his surviving four daughters, one who later committed suicide and had her portion of the estate contested.
From 1900 to 1920 it was the home of William's daughter Alice Ann Clark and her husband Jerome Hart, a well known writer and publisher who were married in the gardens at the estate.
Driver with horses on Clark Estate Here is a photo taken in 1912 of Jim Beretta with his 2 horses on the Clark Estate that was now owned by William's daughter Alice Ann Clark after her father passed in 1889.
The photo was taken near the corner of Schiele and Hoover Avenue on the non forested backside of the 7 acre property where they had a horse race track and breed Holstein and Jersey horses.
In 1913 Jeromy Hart used the estate's tranquil garden environment to write the book "Sardou and the Sardou Plays" a biography of the famous French playwright Victorien Sardou.
The photo was taken near the corner of Schiele and Hoover Avenue on the non forested backside of the 7 acre property where they had a horse race track and breed Holstein and Jersey horses.
In 1913 Jeromy Hart used the estate's tranquil garden environment to write the book "Sardou and the Sardou Plays" a biography of the famous French playwright Victorien Sardou.
Winifred McLaughlin (1876-1962) In 1920 William Leet purchased the mansion and tore it down, cut down many of the trees in front and built a new home in 1921 for his wife, Winifred McLaughlin (of the McLaughlin San Jose Pioneer family) and their two kids.
In 1922 The just completed house attracted the unsavory attention of George Lo Bono in who threatened to blow up the mansion unless a ransom was placed under a mailbox at nearby Randol Ave and Chapman St. William Leet wasn't willing to be blackmailed and the local sheriffs apprehended Lo Bono when he went to pick up the ransom.
In 1932 they hosted charity events at their new home. In 1941 his daughter Adelia was married in the family's garden by a priest from nearby St Leo's church on Race Street and that in 1944 the neighbors complained to the city council about the flock of 75 chickens he kept to close to the homes on Pershing Avenue. The Leets also hosted bridge parties and stays from San Francisco ArchBishops Hanna and Mitty (local Catholic High School named in his honor). In 1945 William Leet died. In Dec of 1961 the beautiful 17 room historic mansion was destroyed by fire.
In 1922 The just completed house attracted the unsavory attention of George Lo Bono in who threatened to blow up the mansion unless a ransom was placed under a mailbox at nearby Randol Ave and Chapman St. William Leet wasn't willing to be blackmailed and the local sheriffs apprehended Lo Bono when he went to pick up the ransom.
In 1932 they hosted charity events at their new home. In 1941 his daughter Adelia was married in the family's garden by a priest from nearby St Leo's church on Race Street and that in 1944 the neighbors complained to the city council about the flock of 75 chickens he kept to close to the homes on Pershing Avenue. The Leets also hosted bridge parties and stays from San Francisco ArchBishops Hanna and Mitty (local Catholic High School named in his honor). In 1945 William Leet died. In Dec of 1961 the beautiful 17 room historic mansion was destroyed by fire.
Hidden Oasis @ 1520 The Alameda Today it is home to the Garden Alameda Office buildings: @ 1520, 1530, 1550, 1570 and 1590 The Alameda.
The best part of the office buildings are the large number of trees, water features and public walkways through the property. It gives the office complex a garden like quality fitting of the name Garden Alameda. Be sure to check out the ducks and the original heritage trees including one massive Valley Oak that survived the switch from two mansions, the construction of the office buildings and the fear of big tree insurance claims.
The best part of the office buildings are the large number of trees, water features and public walkways through the property. It gives the office complex a garden like quality fitting of the name Garden Alameda. Be sure to check out the ducks and the original heritage trees including one massive Valley Oak that survived the switch from two mansions, the construction of the office buildings and the fear of big tree insurance claims.
