One Kelton Court

One Kelton Court, Oakland, California (JL)

This entry isn’t really about the ginormous, 11-story apartment building at One Kelton Court (built 1974, according to Trulia). Instead, information is sought on the beautiful Victorian mansion, demolished sometime in the 1960s, that formerly stood on the site amid an acre of landscaped grounds. The mansion may have had a slightly different address, as the few old records I was able to find have nothing addressed in the single digits for Kelton Court.

Excerpt from 1911-12 Sanborn map, showing the site of what is now One Kelton Court
(public domain)According to Sanborn maps, what is now One Kelton Court was originally the site of two separate houses; one at 137 Kelton Court, and the other at 133 (later changed to 135) Kelton Court. The addresses also continued in a series from what is now known as Monte Cresta Ave., and was previously Hillside. (Curiously, it appears as Selborne on the Sanborn maps and other maps, but in the directories and property descriptions as Hillside. Hillside was renamed Monte Cresta in 1913, no doubt because there were other Hillsides in Piedmont and Oakland.) So 133 Kelton Ct. was listed as 4101 Hillside Ave. in the directories.

The home at 137 Kelton had a larger ground floor area, but the home at 135 Kelton was a two-story home. Oh, and according to a quick review of directories, somebody known as H. H. Haight (probably the grandson of former governor Henry H. Haight) lived at 135 Kelton, and somebody known as C.E. Mooser lived at 137 Kelton.

So, JL — which of these houses is the Victorian you remember?

The H.C. Capwell mansion at 145 Monte Cresta was torn down in 1954 and replaced with an apartment building. That’s separate from the One Kelton building. 11-15-54 Trib.pdf

H.C. Capwell’s “Lost Dog” notice in the Tribune, 1918.

The whole area about a block south of Piedmont Ave., roughly where Glen Echo creek runs, looks to have been sort of a rich person’s playground (c. 1880–1930 or so), with other mansions etc., but I’ve so far only come across indirect mentions – not yet enough hard data to post on the wiki. - M

According to the Nov. 1954 Tribune article, “Artworks in the house, including a marble fountain imported from Italy, will be preserved. The fountain will be the garden centerpiece in the new apartment…” A marble fountain from Italy? California has no shortage of local marble. And Capwell wasn’t even Italian (?) … who else around Oakland would go to the considerable extra expense of importing a marble fountain from Italy? You don’t suppose … naah. Capwell wouldn’t have bought the fountain from the Ghirardelli heirs, would he? - M There's nothing special about importing a finished marble fountain from Italy for the interior of a house. California -- certainly the Bay area -- has no good sculptural marble - A

Mike, thank you for doing all this research on an old mansion I remembered! It sounds like the right house, but if Capwell’s home really was torn down in 1954, then it had to be another mansion that was next to it (I’m not that old!). I was taken there with family to tour the beautiful home one last time (there were other folks in the neighborhood viewing it as well) while men were stripping all the gorgeous fixtures before it was to be demolished a few days later. Had to have been in the early to mid 1960s. Really made an impression ... thought the interior was one of the most beautiful homes I had ever seen (at that time, through the eyes of a young child) and was upset that something so lovely was torn down and hauled away. JL

This is so Twilight Zone! Everything in the November 15, 1954 Tribune article is exactly what I remember, only a decade too soon for me to have been there! And the sketch in the article does look a bit like 1 Kelton Court, that currently stands at the end of the cul de sac.

Looking at Google maps, it’s clear that the sketch in the ‘54 Trib article is the current building at 145 Monte Cresta, even matching the shape and orientation of the buildings. I think Mike’s concept of a rich person’s playground is our clue here — and you’re thinking of one of the homes that used to exist where One Kelton is now. — NAParish

It seems increasingly likely the house in question was the Haight family home, unless someone else notable lived in one of the houses. As noted above, it had a variety of address and street name combinations. Also as noted below, the developer of One Kelton Court purchased the land from the Haight family, so the timing of the demolition (after 1969, before 1973) fits in better with the above, unlike the Capwell home. - Gene 8/28/2024

1959 Sanborn. Note apartments A-D behind the house

(For when the above mystery gets resolved)

One Kelton Court opened in 1973 as apartments. The 11-story building included 119 units, and was built by developer Steve Block. It was built on land once owned by Henry Huntly Haight, who served as governor of California; Block purchased it from Henry Huntly Haight III. ² In 1983 the building was converted to condominiums. ³

1973 drawing ¹1973 ad