The Camron-Stanford House - Self-Guided Tour
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The Camron-Stanford House
Self-Guided Tour
Camron-Stanford House Timeline 1876- Alice Marsh and her husband William Walker Camron purchase the property at 1218 Oak Street (now 1418 Lakeside Drive). 1877- Alice and William’s youngest daughter, Gracie (age 2), passes away. The family puts the house up for rent and embarks on a tour of Europe. 1877- David Hewes rents the house. He, his wife Matilda, and his stepdaughter Franklina C. Gray move in at the end of their own two year tour of Europe and the Middle East. 1878- Franklina and William Bartlett marry at the Camron-Stanford House. The ceremony is held in the bay window of the family parlor. 1881- The Hewes and Bartlett families move to Southern California. 1882- After a series of bad business deals, the Camrons are forced to sell their lakefront home. The house is purchased by Josiah Stanford. Josiah, his wife Helen and their son Josiah Jr. (Joe) move in. 1890- Josiah Stanford passes away at the Camron-Stanford House 1891- Alice Gertude Gordon, wife of Josiah Jr. and daughter-in-law to Josiah and Helen Stanford, passes away in the house shortly she suffers a stillbirth. Her funeral is held on site. 1903- Helen Stanford sells the house to Captain John Tennent Wright, Jr. 1907- The Wright family sells house to the City of Oakland for $40,000. 1910- The city expands the house to serve as Oakland’s first public museum, showcasing Oakland’s ethnography and anthropology collections. 1967-1969- Following the building of the Oakland Museum of California, the property is vacated. The house remains empty for several years, and faces an uncertain future. 1971- The Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association, a group of forward thinking individuals, comes together to save the house. Years of restoration work, led by dedicated volunteers, follow. 1978- The Camron-Stanford House opens to the public as a historic house museum.
Welcome to the Camron-Stanford House
Introduction
The Camron-Stanford House was built in 1876 and was home to five influential families
during its time as a residence. When the house was originally built, the lake and surrounding
land were private property. Samuel Merritt was one of several land investors who saw
“Contra Costa” (translated from Spanish to mean “the opposite coast”) as an attractive
country retreat for San Francisco’s wealthy businessmen. At the time of its incorporation in
1852 Oakland was part of Contra Costa County and its population was a few hundred
citizens. Merritt was a bachelor physician born in Maine who arrived in California in 1850
with the Gold Rush. He found his fortune not in mining, but in real estate. Among his
investments were several “elegant” homes built north of 14th Street and east of Alice Street,
including his own impressive residence on Madison. These were country estates for San
Francisco capitalists. Among his neighbors were some whose businesses you might
recognize today including Folger, Chabot, and Schilling. In 1876 the home was purchased by
Alice and her husband, William Walker Camron for $15,000.
The house was a private home from 1876 to 1907, but when the lake and surrounding park
became public land the city transformed the house into Oakland’s first public museum (The
Oakland Public Museum),
which it remained for 60
years until the Oakland
Museum of California
opened in the late 1960s.
In 1978 the house reopened
in its current incarnation as a
house museum. The museum
highlights the experiences of
the families who lived in the
house, as well as the larger
cultural experience in 19th
century Oakland and
Pictured: The Camron-Stanford House soon after the Camron Family moved into
California. the home in 1876. Members of the family, including Alice, William, their two
children, the children’s nanny, and some of their household staff can be seen in the
Because of its years as a photograph.
public museum little that is
original to its days as a private home remains. The Camron-Stanford House Preservation
Association, the nonprofit that now operates the house, has relied on loaned items and gifts
to recreate how the families might have decorated their home and lived their lives. What we
know about the history of the house and its families is thanks to the volunteer research by the
original Association members. New members, staff, and docents continue their work.
Directions For This Tour This book is your guide to the Camron-Stanford House. Begin your tour at the main entrance, at Viewpoint #1. Follow the directions at the bottom of each section to find the next viewpoint on the tour. Note: You do not have to read the whole tour booklet, but you may find helpful information about each of the rooms, the residents who lived here, and some of the collection pieces on display. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to ask one of our volunteer docents. As a reminder, we ask that you please do not sit on, move, or touch any of the items on display unless signage specifically invites you to do so. If you’d like to learn more about the families who lived in the Camron-Stanford House, please see the list of residents at the end of this booklet. Begin your tour at the Main Entrance, Viewpoint #1
Viewpoint #1: The Main Entrance What is a Calling Card?
You are now standing at the main entrance to the
Camron-Stanford House. If you were paying a visit to A calling card, or visiting card is a small
Alice and William Walker Camron in 1876, you card similar to a business card that you
would have walked along the manicured pathway, up might recognize today. Calling cards were
the front steps, and knocked on the front door. There, a a way to announce your presence. If you
member of the family’s household staff would likely were making a visit, you might offer your
card for household staff to announce your
have greeted you. You may have given them your
arrival. When traveling, you might leave a
calling card so that they could alert the family of your
card with someone to let them know
visit.
you’re in town, along with a note about
how and when they could visit you.
If the family was expecting you, or if they approved
your visit after seeing your calling card, they might Not everyone could afford custom printed
greet you here, in the entryway, or the household staff calling cards, of course. During the 19th
might usher you into the Receiving Parlor to wait. century they were most often used by the
upper classes, often as a tool to flex one’s
You Might Notice… social status, and sometimes to keep
unwanted visitors at bay.
• If you look at the transom window above the
front door you will see the original address Look closely and you may spot a calling
numbers-- 1218. The address used to be 1218 card or two while on your tour!
Oak Street before the city renamed and re-
numbered this street.
• The front door panels you see today are not
original but were re-created using the original
wheel cut technique used for the glass. The
glass panels were custom made by a local
artisan.
• The radiators you see on either side of the
front doors were installed by the second owner
of the house, Josiah Stanford. These radiators
still provide heat for the entire building. Example of a standard calling card. This one was found
in an album of cards collected by Franklina C. Gray, a
resident of Camron-Stanford House. Camron-Stanford
• Another re-creation is the newel post at the House Collection. Gift of Tracey Bartlett, 2018.
foot of the main staircase. The original
disappeared in 1973 and the new post was
based on a photo of the original.
Continue through the door to Viewpoint #2 to learn about what life
would have been like in this house in the 1870s.
Viewpoint #2: The Receiving Parlor
If you were welcomed into the home beyond the front entry you would probably wait for
your host here in the Receiving Parlor.
The word parlor comes from the French verb parler which means “to speak.” These rooms
were certainly used to convey a message! Most upper class (and some larger middle class)
homes had formal receiving parlors, and they were often seen as a status of wealth. They
were decorated with the best furnishing, works of art, and other trinkets meant to
communicate the family’s refined status.
If you were visiting in the 1880s, Helen, wife of Josiah Stanford, may have greeted you
here. If the time was right and the sun was shining, she may have invited you for tea in the
solarium, through the door on the right.
If you were visiting in the evening, the gasolier you see suspended from the center of the
room might be lowered and lit using the torch and key lighter you see on the center table.
Whatever the time, you would have enjoyed a delightful conversation surrounded by
portraits of the family and their favorite decorative pieces.
Portrait of Josiah Stanford painted by Georgina Campbell
in 1891. Courtesy of Cantor Art Center, Stanford
University.
You Might Notice…
• The blue couch you see is called a settee. This set you see here is not original to the
house but was owned by resident Franklina C. Gray and her husband William
Bartlett when they lived in Southern California.
• The second owner of the house was Josiah Stanford, whose portrait hangs above
the fireplace. Josiah’s portrait was one of six depicting the original Stanford
University trustees.
• Portraits of Josiah Stanford’s parents, Elizabeth and Josiah Stanford flank the
front windows.
• The Carrera marble fireplace mantle is not original to the Camron-Stanford House,
but was recovered from a house of the same era nearby on Fallon Street.
• Be sure to visit the solarium! Take a look at the bird in the cage. For much of the
19th century the most popular method of outdoor and indoor lighting was gas light,
and homeowners sometimes relied on pet birds as early warnings of gas leaks.
• On your way to the Family Parlor, notice to your right the photograph with the
shell frame. The bride in the photograph is Franklina Bartlett, she was married in
this house. You will learn about her family in the next room.
Continue through the door to Viewpoint #3
Viewpoint #3: The Family Parlor
If you were visiting Franklina C. Gray, or another member of the Hewes Family in 1876,
you might have been invited into a more intimate space in the home—The Family Parlor.
This room would have been a place where family members, and their guests, gathered to
spend time together. There would have been reading, piano playing, lively discussions, and
games happening here, just like in your own living room!
Franklina may sit with you to tell
you about her travels around the
world. Matilda might be relaxing
on the chaise lounge. David,
meanwhile, might be found reading
his newspaper in his favorite chair.
Similar to the Receiving Parlor you
just visited, this room would have
been elaborately decorated,
containing fine furniture pieces and
works of art. The Family Parlor is
where the family would likely have
displayed mementoes and keepsakes
from their travels and personal lives.
The Receiving Parlor was a formal
setting, the Family Parlor was the
Victorian version of an informal and
relaxing space.
Josiah Stanford eventually had the
wall between this room and the
Receiving Parlor removed to make a
single large family parlor, but the
Preservation Association made the
decision to recreate the house as
close to its original floor plan as
possible.
Portrait of Franklina C. Gray, by Gambadella, 1876. Courtesy of James
Marshall Moore.
You Might Notice…
Looking at the wall you will see (from left to right)
• Portrait of Franklina C. Gray
Painted in 1876
Naples, Italy
Artist: Gambadella
• Portrait of Franklina C. Gray, 18 Months
Painted in 1855
Artist: Unknown
• Portrait of Matilda Hewes
Painted in 1876
Naples, Italy
Artist: Gambadella
• A bust of David Hewes rests on a pedestal just
in front of Matilda’s portrait. The bust was
created in 1877 by artist Nicoli Carrara. Portrait bust of Franklina C. Gray, by G. Andreoni,
1877. Camron-Stanford House collection. Gift of
Franklina Moore.
• You may also see a small portrait bust on the
cabinet, below the three portrait paintings. This bust is of Franklina, and was created
at the same time as Hewes’ portrait bust, also in Italy, by artist G. Andreoni in 1877.
Franklina accompanied David Hewes when he hand selected the marble slabs that
would be used by the artists to create these pieces, which she wrote about in her
journals.
The two busts, as well as the portrait of Franklina as a young woman, and the portrait
of Matilda, were all commissioned on the family’s two year Grand Tour of Europe
and the Middle East from 1875-1877.
• Look up at the ceiling. The 1875 bronze chandelier features a Welsh red griffin
motif. All the period room chandeliers, with the exception of the one in the Art
Gallery, were donated by Gabriel Sheridan, a longtime supporter and friend to the
Camron-Stanford House.
• The ceiling rosette, which forms the base where the chandelier attaches to the ceiling,
is original to the house.
• Additional lighting in this room comes from the four mermaid wall sconces, three of
which are replicas of the one original sconce which has an extension tube fueling the
table lamp. You can find that to the left of the large archway to the next room. The
mermaid sconces continue in the Art Gallery.
• The fireplace in this room is also made from Carrara marble. It is believed that this
mantle was originally from the home of Samuel Merritt.
• On the mantle, the black and white marble clock and obelisks are birthday presents
to Matilda from David Hewes, and reminders of their Grand Tour. The set is a great
example of the Egyptian Revival Period, where Egyptian-style design motifs were
popular in the Western world during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The wallpaper you see in this room is in the Japonesque style. The perceived
“uniqueness” of Asian cultures was appealing to wealthy North American Victorians,
and the colors are authentic to Western 19th century home décor. The wallpaper in
this room is not original to the house, but was custom created by a specialty design
studio after surveying other historic homes in the area for inspiration.
Now cross the room to Viewpoint #4 to see a few more details in the
Family Parlor.
Close-up of the mermaid sconces that can be found in the Family Parlor and Art Gallery.Life Behind the Scenes
While the family entertained themselves in the parlor, a team of domestic servants was likely
kept thoroughly busy by a long list of behind-the-scenes chores.
The number of servants employed in an upper-class household varied depending on the number
of residents and their needs. Cooks were by far the most in-demand help: cooking three meals a
day was incredibly time consuming and upper-class women were generally not expected to
prepare meals. Some households got by with just one servant, a “maid of all work,” who
functioned as a cook, waitress, housemaid, lady’s maid, laundress, nanny, and parlor attendant all
at once! Maids of all work were generally underpaid and vastly overworked.
The families who lived in the Camron-Stanford house employed several domestic servants.
Census records tell us, for example, that the Hewes family employed an Italian maid named
Assunta, a Chinese cook named Lee Guey, and an Irish coachman named John Matthews.
Matilda and David lived alongside Matilda’s daughter Franklina, her husband William, and their
young child Lanier. With three generations to look after and many mouths to feed (the servants
ate in the house too!), these domestic servants certainly had their hands full.
When not actively tending to her employer, Franklina’s maid Assunta would spend her day
mending garments, polishing jewelry, cleaning bedrooms, and looking after Franklina and
William’s son Lanier. As the only female servant, Assunta likely also took on the duties of a
maid-of-all work. This probably
included dusting, laundry, lighting fires
in the bedrooms, beating carpets,
cleaning curtains, polishing silverware,
and more.
Until the 20th century, most domestic
servants lived where they worked.
Women especially were expected to
remain unmarried while they were
employed. Many domestic workers
married much later in life or never
married at all, choosing to work instead
of starting their own families. On the
other hand, finding a position in a
wealthy household sometimes allowed
domestic workers to save up significant
sums of money. Immigrant workers
especially relied on these savings to
send money back to family members in
Photograph of 19th century domestic servants. Camron-Stanford House
Collection. Gift of Elaine Oldham, 1991.
their native countries.Viewpoint #4: The Family Parlor (continued)
Find the bay window. Here, in 1878, Franklina and William Bartlett took their wedding
vows as family and a few friends looked on. The black velvet gown on the mannequin was
worn by Franklina’s mother, Matilda, for the occasion.
The Family Parlor was a multipurpose space. It was a casual gathering spot for family and
close friends, but it might host weddings, funerals, and other small affairs.
You Might Notice…
• The desk nestled in the bay window displays a wooden laptop writing desk once
owned by Franklina, a 19th century greeting card, and a popular game called
‘Round The World with Nelly Bly.
• On the western wall is a walnut secretary desk with a glass hutch, which once
belonged to John L. Davie, the mayor of Oakland from 1895 to 1897.
• Resting on this desk is Franklina’s sewing kit. Aside from the lovely sewing
supplies and sentimental items, the box also holds the original purchase receipt for the
box from a merchant in London.
• On the opposite wall is an étagère bookcase,
also known as a “whatnot,” a popular form of
19th century furniture used for displaying
family bric-a-brac.
• The Turkish armchair exemplifies the
Victorians’ fondness for tufted furniture with
lots of fringe.
• Josiah Stanford installed a central hot water
heating system which still operates from a
boiler in the basement. In this room there are
radiators on both sides of the bay window.
Perhaps you’ve already spotted radiators in
Mementos found in Franklina's sewing box. Camron-
other spots throughout the house, too! Stanford House Collection. Gift of Franklina Moore.
Now travel through the archway to the Art Gallery and find Viewpoint
#5Viewpoint #5: The Art Gallery
In the 19th century, owning works of art,
especially artwork collected overseas, was a sign
of wealth, privilege, and education. We know that
David Hewes maintained a private art gallery in
the house, though we are not sure of its exact
location.
If you were visiting the Hewes family in the late
1870s, David Hewes might entertain you with
stories of his two year journey through Europe and
the Middle East-- a honeymoon with his new wife
Matilda. During this trip he collected many works
of art to bring back home.
His step daughter, Franklina, who traveled along
with Hewes and her mother, might point out some
of her favorites, including the portrait of Beatrice
Cenci in the corner of the room.
The Three Graces, replica of the original by Antonio In addition to viewing art, Matilda might invite
Canova. Courtesy of the Hearst Art Gallery, Saint you for a game of checkers on her specialty board,
Mary’s College.
located at the center of the room.
Today, we do not fully know what purpose this room served for each of the families who
lived here. We have some evidence that the Camron Family used this space as a billiards
room. We also know that in the early 1900s, the Oakland Public Museum installed a glass
panel in the archway and staged a natural history diorama exhibit. And, while we are not
certain where exactly in the house David Hewes staged his gallery, we do know that he
certainly had one. Inspired by the detailed records describing his personal art collection, the
Preservation Association choose this space to recreate the David Hewes Art Gallery.You Might Notice…
• The painting at the center of the room is titled
“Aurora” and was painted by Luigi
Colzolari. It is a replica of a painting by
Guido Reni. The painting tells the story of the
bringing of the dawn by Apollo.
• Another painting inspired by a Guido Reni
original is the Portrait of Beatrice Cenci.
This replica was painted by artist Salvatore
Rosa. It was popular for tourists to purchase
and also commission replicas of favorite
artworks they saw at museums, in churches, or
visiting grand estates and palaces. The Hewes
family was fond of this trend!
• On the table below the portrait of Beatrice
Cenci, you’ll find a visitor favorite—a
sculpture of The Three Graces. This
variation was based off the original by Portrait of Beatrice Cenci by Salvatore Rosa. Camron-
Antonio Canova. The three women each Stanford House Collection. Gift of the Art League of the East
represent charm, beauty, and creativity. Bay, 1978.
• Near the door to the hallway you’ll see an ornate golden frame above the horn chair.
This painting is titled “Madonna Della Sedia” (Madonna of the Chair), and is a 19th
century replica of the original by Raphael.
• Make sure to look up-- The chandelier was recreated from pieces believed to be
original to the house, which were found in the materials left by the Oakland Public
Museum. The Neptune heads of the chandelier complement the mermaid sconces.
We believe this space once had a nautical theme.
• The walls are painted in Pompeian Red, a fashionable color favored by the
Victorians, and complimentary to the wallpaper border in the Family Parlor. Another
Oakland Victorian house museum, the Cohen-Bray House, was the inspiration for the
wall color, and for and the design and shading of the carpet.
• The game board resting on the Louis XVI revival walnut table in the center of the
room is a gift to the house from descendants of Franklina and Matilda.• Hewes listed two horn chairs in his art
Were All Homes This Opulently
catalog. The original chairs, along with
other items in Hewes’ art collection, Decorated?
were donated to Stanford University
(Hewes’ second wife was Anna Marie Not everyone could afford to decorate their
Lathrop, Leland Stanford’s sister-in- homes in the manner you see presented in this
law). We were fortunate to find similar house. Working-class households tended to be
pieces created by an Alameda cabinet furnished in a much more utilitarian way.
maker who used horns provided by a
butcher friend. The Western Frontier Middle and lower-class families often rented
style chair is a marked contrast to the their homes and moved frequently. It was
tufts and fringe of the house’s more important for their furnishings to be
typically Victorian pieces. The smaller transportable and versatile. Likewise, a rented
chair, decorated in the traditional apartment or room in a boarding house may
Victorian manner, was meant to be a come pre-furnished. Residents would make their
“feminine” version. home feel more "theirs" with small personal
items like a handmade blanket, a family bible,
The larger of the two horn chairs is near or maybe a framed photograph.
the door. The smaller of the two is on
the opposite side of the room, next to Working-class immigrants especially often
the far window. came from sparsely decorated homes. For
example, a laborer from rural Ireland likely
grew up in a one-room cottage that held a bed, a
• The folding rocking chair dates from few chairs, and little else by way of furnishings.
1875-85. Rockers were popular in both
modest and affluent homes. More As the 19th century progressed and industrial
expensive pieces would have detailed technology improved, one-time luxuries were
textile or beadwork, whereas less being made affordable to more of the
expensive pieces would more often be population. The piano, previously relegated to
made of solid wood. the parlors of the wealthy became available to
the working class as mass production lowered
• Before exiting through the door, you the cost. By the turn of the 20th century, upright
will notice a singing bird cage on a pianos were a staple of middle-class homes.
small table. This early example of
automation features two birds that For many reasons, most people could not adorn
would sing a song when you wound the their walls with paintings as David Hewes did.
key on the base. Luckily, printmaking techniques such as
lithography made it possible for working-class
people to hang art on their walls. From religious
iconography and portraits of political figures to
landscape scenes and architectural landmarks,
affordable, mass-produced images were popular
When you are ready, exit the Art additions in homes across the country.
Gallery and cross the hallway.
to the Dining Room, Viewpoint #6.Viewpoint #6: The Dining Room
Step into the dining room. You might find some familiarity between this dining room and the
one in your own home—it was a place where the family, and perhaps their guests, would
have gathered for their meals and shared time together. At Camron-Stanford House, meals
would have ranged from casual to very formal.
You Might Notice…
• This fireplace mantel is original to the house. It is marbleized soap stone decorated
with a shell motif. It was a 19th century custom to have the finest fireplace in the
house located in the dining room.
• The gold leaf mirror is from Gumps, the San Francisco purveyor of jewelry and
decorative arts established in 1861. At its inception it specialized in mirrors, selling
its wares to the saloons along the Barbary Coast in San Francisco. You can still visit
Gumps today to select pieces for your own home!
• Among the notable architectural features, all original, are the mahogany wainscoting
and trim.
• The doors are made of redwood, stained to resemble mahogany. The doors have
mercury glass knobs encased in double blown glass.
• The chandelier, not original was a gift to the house and was wired and restored by a
volunteer. It was telescopic, allowing it to be raised and lowered. It may have sat low,
as you see it now, for dinner, but may have been raised for receptions to allow people
to walk across the room without bumping their heads!
• The Renaissance Revival sideboard and cabinet are heavy pieces with bold
features—ornate arches and both human and animal figures. The family’s dishes and
eating utensils would have been stored here.
• Atop the sideboard are a selection of “teaching photographs” picturing 19th century
Oakland, interiors of a 19th century house at 960 Oak Street, images of Lake Merritt,
and exteriors of the Camron-Stanford House.
Exit the Dining Room and cross the hallway to go outside to the
Veranda. Be sure to watch your step as you use the door. Follow the
sign to Viewpoint #7.Spilling the Tea on Tea Time One question we are often asked is, “what’s the difference between high and low tea?” Afternoon Tea is typically served in the mid-afternoon. The menu traditionally includes lighter fare, such as finger sandwiches, lemon curds, scones, and marmalade. The tea of choice might be Earl Gray or Assam, or an herbal tea such as chamomile and mint. Afternoon Tea was often an important social engagement for women, especially in the United Kingdom, and smart dress, lace, and pristine etiquette were expected. For this reason, many confuse Afternoon Tea with the term “High Tea.” High Tea was much more of a working class experience. Served on high tables, similar to those you might find at a local pub, this evening meal, served after the work day ended, around 5pm. The service traditionally consisted of heavy dishes such as kidney pie, pickled salmon, potatoes, crumpets, and other heavy foods. A pot of good, strong tea and a hearty dish were meant to revive the spirts after a long day of labor. Afternoon and High Tea did not catch on as a daily habit in the United States in the same way that it did in the UK. While tea was a much-loved staple in many American households, Afternoon Tea was typically seen as a special occasion, and often attended at a local hotel or popular restaurant. Book your own tea party at the Camron-Stanford House! Visit our website to learn more!
Viewpoint #7: The Veranda
The Veranda you are standing
on today is more than double
its original size. As you can
see, it provides a picture-
perfect view of Lake Merritt.
While we enjoy this beautiful
scene today, the view from
the veranda would have been
quite different in the 1800s.
It is worth noting that Lake
Photograph of Lake Merritt in the 1800s. Image courtesy of Oakland History
Merritt was a less picturesque
Room, Oakland Public Library. setting in the past than it is
today. Originally the lake was
a tidal slough, surrounded by marshy grasses and subject to overflowing. During the early
days of the city, sewage deliberately emptied into it. The idea was that the tides would
carry the sewage out to sea.
In 1869 Samuel Merritt donated the money needed to build a dam near present day 12th
Street. This dam cut off the inlet of water from the bay, creating a lake near Merritt’s own
home. In 1870, the lake became the country’s first wildlife refuge. The establishment of the
refuge protected local wildlife, and also kept keen hunters out of Merritt’s lakefront
property! The creation of the lake and the press from the new wildlife refuge increased the
value of Merritt’s substantial property holdings. Soon after, Merritt began building and
selling home plots in the area, including this one. The lake did not become accessible to all
Oakland residents until the early 1900s when the City Beautiful movement inspired city
leaders to transform Lake Merritt into the public park area we enjoy today.
Looking directly across the lake is
a part of Oakland that was, until
1872, known as Brooklyn. Back
then, you would see the Tubbs
Hotel (1871-1893), a palatial
destination for visitors and
residents alike. Franklina and
Matilda lived there before moving
into the Camron-Stanford House,
as did poet Gertrude Stein’s family,
and writer Robert Louis Stevenson.This Is Ohlone Territory It is important to acknowledge that this area was part of a culturally vibrant indigenous community long before the arrival of European settlers. For over 10,000 years, generations of the Ohlone people have called the Bay Area and the Northern California coastal region home. In the East Bay, the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people knew this area as xučyun (Huichin). Their home land spanned across most of what we now refer to as Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, El Cerrito, and Oakland. The Ohlone way of life was devastated by the arrival of Mexican and Spanish explorers and colonists who claimed lands as their own. The Ohlone, like most other North American Indigenous tribes were subjected to forced assimilation, exposure to illness, expulsion from their lands, and even genocide. By 1820, nearly all of the East Bay was known as Rancho San Antonio-- land awarded to Don Luis Maria Peralta by the Spanish king. The Peralta family and other Spanish and Mexican landowners were, in many cases, forced to forfeit their land as United States territories expanded west and laid claim to what would eventually become California. The Camron-Stanford House recognizes that we are on the unceded territory of the Ohlone people, and we seek to uplift indigenous experiences through our interpretation of 19th century Oakland and California history. The Camron-Stanford House encourages actively learning about the diverse cultures that shape our Oakland community. Learn more about the Ohlone experience and their work in the Bay Area community today by visiting www.muwekma.org. Ramaytush Ohlone in a tule boat in the San Francisco Bay. Painting by Louis Choris, 1816.
You might be surprised to learn that what Camron-Stanford House did not have in the 19th
century was a garden! Commonly, the back yards of the elegant homes along this lake
were work yards running to the lake’s swampy edge. In addition to docks, boat houses, and
carriage houses, there were wash houses, clotheslines, and cow sheds. Recreating a service
yard was neither practical nor allowable at the time of the house’s restoration in the 1970s.
Under careful guidance, plants were selected that likely would have been found in private
19th century gardens in Oakland, including Arbor Villa, the 50 acre estate of Francis
“Borax” Smith on the east side of the lake, and August Schilling’s gardens near present day
Snow Park. Though these
inspirational showplaces are
no more, several historic
images were consulted for
direction.
The most recent addition to
the garden is the antique
marble fountain just inside
the main gate. The fountain is
from Hiram Tubb’s estate,
which was near his hotel on
East 12th Street between 4th
and 5th Avenues.
The original boat house at the Camron-Stanford House. This photo was taken during
the time the Stanford Family lived in the home.
We invite you to carefully make your way down the veranda stairs and
spend some time exploring and enjoying the garden.
When you are ready, proceed back up the veranda stairs to the
hallway, down the main staircase, and to the lower museum exhibit
gallery to return this guide.Before You Go…
Thank you for visiting Camron-Stanford House. We hope you will encourage your
friends and family to do the same!
We hope that you will stay connected:
Website: www.cshouse.org FB: facebook.com/CamronStanford
Events: www.cshouse.org/events Instagram: @CamronStanford
Support the Camron-Stanford House
Supporting the Camron-Stanford House is Easy! Here are just a few ways that you can
help:
Become a Member: Join the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association as a
member. Members enjoy free admission to the house and perks like free or discounted
admission to special events. Visits to the Camron-Stanford House are always free!
Membership forms can be found at the entrance, or fill one out online.
Make a Donation: Your donations help support the development of new exhibits and
programs, as well as the continued care of this historic home and its collections.
Donations can be made using the donation box inside the museum, or you can make a
secure donation online via our website. Camron-Stanford House is a 501(c)3
educational organization, and your donations are tax deductible.
Volunteer: Connect with local history and volunteer! Camron-Stanford House is
happy to welcome new docents and museum volunteers. Ask a volunteer for
information, or visit our website to learn more.The Residents of the Camron-Stanford House
The Camron Family (Residents from 1876-1877)
Alice Marsh was born in 1852, the daughter of Dr. John and Abagail Marsh, a pioneer
Contra Costa family. When Alice’s father passed away, she and her brother inherited a
vast estate. At the age of 19, Alice married Deputy Sherriff William Walker Camron.
Using Alice’s inheritance, the property at 1218 Oak Street was purchased in 1876.
The family, which included Alice, William, and their daughters Amy and Gracie, did not
live in the Camron-Stanford House long. Just a few days after her second birthday, Gracie
passed away. Grief stricken, the family vacated the house and embarked on a long
European tour. The House was rented to another family in 1877.
The Camrons’ luck continued to sour
upon their return. Though William had
a somewhat successful political career
on the Oakland City Council and the
California State Assembly, he made a
series of poor business deals that
drained the couple’s finances. Alice
and William officially sold the house in
1882, and eventually divorced in 1891.
Alice was a strong, resourceful woman,
and she and her daughter Amy ran a
boarding house in San Francisco for
Portraits of a young Alice Marsh and William Walker Camron. many years before moving to Santa
Image courtesy of the Bancroft Library, University of California,
Berkeley.
Barbara.
The Hewes and Bartlett Families (Residents from 1877-1881)
David Hewes found fortune in a new business venture in
San Francisco in the 1850s. Hewes offered services to
assist with leveling and grading the sand dunes of a
rapidly growing San Francisco. In the late 1850s, Hewes’
operation was the only one to have steam powered
shovels. Hewes leveled the areas of Market Street, Union
Square and San Francisco City Hall among others,
earning him the nickname of, “The Maker of San
Francisco.”
Portrait bust of David Hewes, which can be seen at the Camron-Stanford House.Hewes was invited to join in on a new business venture with
his friends Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker
and Collis Huntington—Railroads. You might recognize these
names collectively as “The Big Four.” Hewes declined
because he was already so busy with his own business
ventures. While he declined the railroad partnership, he did,
however, donate the famous “Golden Spike” that was used to
unite the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Transcontinental
Railroads.
In 1876 Hewes married Matilda Gray, a young widow and
mother to Franklina C. Gray. After a two year honeymoon
in Europe (accompanied by Franklina), the group returned to
Oakland and moved into the Camron-Stanford House. A year Portrait of Franklina C. Gray,
circa 1877. Franklina was
later, Franklina married William Bartlett in the house’s family stepdaughter to David Hewes,
parlor. The Barletts continued to live with David and Matilda who married her mother,
for many years, even as their family grew to include their first Matilda in 1875.
son, Lanier Bartlett.
David would go on to win a City Council seat and William Bartlett became a
successful banker and businessman. Franklina and Matilda were well known in
Oakland, and were active in the local chapter of the Ebell Society, a group dedicated
to the education of women.
Both the Heweses and the Bartletts moved to Southern California in 1881, seeking a
warmer climate for Matilda’s declining health. Matilda eventually passed away in
1887. Hewes remarried, to the sister-in-law of his good friend Leland Stanford—
Anna Lathrop.
The Stanfords (Residents from 1882-1903)
Josiah Stanford was the eldest of six brothers, and lived
in New York until 1849 when five of the Stanford sons
decided to try their luck at prospecting in California.
Arriving in Sacramento, Josiah saw potential in opening
a mercantile business to sell goods to miners. The
brothers would open a series of shops known as Stanford
Bros. Despite the shops success, within 10 years Josiah’s
four brothers who had come to California with him had
returned East.
Josiah found fortune again in the mining towns of
California. When the supply of imported kerosene was
interrupted by the Civil War, Josiah developed a new Portrait of Josiah Stanford.
method of extracting oil from land in California bytunneling rather than drilling. Josiah’s oil company was the first established
commercial production of petroleum in the state of California.
Josiah turned his interests yet again, this time to winemaking, in 1869. Partnering
with his brother Leland who had decided to move to California, Josiah managed the
Stanford Brothers Winery, producing the state’s first champagne-style wine.
Josiah and his second wife, Helen, purchased the Camron-Stanford House from Alice
and William Camron in 1882. Josiah, Helen, and their son, Josiah Jr. (known as
Joe) split their time between their Oakland residence and their home at their winery in
Warm Springs (now the Freemont area). Josiah became ill and would eventually die
in the Camron-Stanford House in 1890. While Joe chose to spend most of his time in
Warm Springs with his wife, Helen remained in Oakland until she sold the house in
1903.
The Wrights (Residents from 1903-1907)
Capitan John Tennent Wright, Jr. was born
to a seafaring family in New York. The family
moved to California in 1849 and ran the
California Steam Navigation Company, which
ran ships from California to South America,
Canada, and Peru.
Wright made substantial money panning for
gold in California, and was able to purchase his
own ship to run his own operation. The venture
was short lived, and he eventually returned to
his family’s business and settled in San
Francisco.
After the death of his first wife, Cpt. Wright
married Trella Beck and the family moved across the bay to Oakland. The Wrights
purchased the Camron-Stanford House from Helen Stanford in 1903, but would only
live in the house for a few short years. The house was then sold to The City Of
Oakland in 1907 for $40,000 as part of a plan to revitalize the lakefront area and
transform the house into the city’s first public museum.Thank you to the following people for their help in creating this self-guided tour:
Vicki Jacobs
Mark Hawkins
Iliana Morton
Rowan Robertson-Smith
Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association, 2021You can also read
