Walsh house (later Francis E. Williard Club), 360 Monte Vista Avenue, Oakland 1
The Walsh House was stately, with a tremendous view of Oakland and San Francisco. Originally, the home was owned by "pioneer plantation owner and retired attorney" Edward M. Walsh (? - March 12, 1939) and his wife Hattie (? - January 14, 1943). The house was located at 360 Monte Vista Avenue (although mislabeled as Monte Vista Terrace by the photographer whose pictures appear on this page) near the intersection of Harrison Street (then known as Walsworth Street), where all the modern, unattractive apartments are now located (near what was once known as the Plymouth Church Towne House).
When originally constructed, the house's address was 98 Monte Vista Avenue, although the address was subsequently changed in [what year? sometime between 1922 and 1928] to 360 Monte Vista Avenue. In 1909, physician John L. Lohse married Marion Beckwith Walsh, daughter of Edward and Hattie, and Dr. & Mrs. Lohse apparently lived in the house for some time after the wedding. Later, the Lohses lived at 80 Monte Vista Avenue, later renumbered 322 -- in another house that has subsequently been torn down.
Although this beautiful home was demolished during the great urban renewal of the late 1960's, it's nice just to remember that it was once there.
The house appears on the 1902 Sanborn maps, but Julia Morgan is credited with architectural work on the house in 1910.2 The exterior boundary of the house (primarily on the west / uphill side) did change slightly between the 1902 and 1912 Sanborn maps, but the extent of Ms. Morgan's 1910 work is not clear.
The house was later used as the Oakland chapter of the Frances E. Williard Club, and in the 1967 Oakland City Directory is listed as the "Francis E. Williard Club Boarding House."
Walsh house, 360 Monte Vista Terrace, Oakland 1
Additional Links
- Image(s) used by permission of the UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library (mislabeled as Monte Vista Terrace)
- Guide to the Sara Holmes Boutelle papers, Online Archive of California
- PANIL Notes (July/August 2007)
- Miss Walsh Weds Dr. John L. Lohse, San Francisco Call, March 3, 1909
Notes
I don't know if it's Dr. and Marion or related to them, but there's a large cross with Lohse on it at Saint Mary's, but no year or given names. Harder to look things up that way, since SMC's index books are by year. Have to find out the years of their deaths to be able to look it up.
