San Jose home tour celebrates a century of Spanish Revival
The bloom of Spanish Revival architecture in San Jose, with its distinctive red tile roofs, arched windows and ornate entryways, can be traced back to a century — to the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego and to the partnership of residential designer Frank Delos Wolfe and Santa Clara architect William Ernest Higgins.
And if you don’t believe that, just ask Krista Van Laan, who literally has written the book on the subject, “Wolfe & Higgins: Master Architects of the Spanish Revival.” The partnership began in 1917 and survived Wolfe’s death in 1926 when his son, Carl Wolfe, became Higgins’ partner until 1931.
“In just 14 years, the firm produced more than 500 buildings, almost all of which are in San Jose,” Van Laan said. “By 1922, the firm was known locally as the go-to architects for this style, and from that point on, they worked almost exclusively in the Spanish Revival style.”
Eight homes and buildings that exemplify the style will be on display for the Presentation Action Council’s fundraising home tour on Aug. 26. Tickets to the self-guided tour are available for $35 in advance and $40 on the day of the tour at www.WolfeandHigginsTour.com.
Van Laan had previously written about Frank Wolfe, a prolific San Jose architect who was responsible for more than 1,200 structures during his 34-year career. She was drawn to the Spanish Revival homes for the same reason most people are: They’re beautiful.
“The style incorporates arches, graceful lines, and exterior ornamentation such as sculptural terracotta and concrete relief work and decorative tiles,” she said. “I kept discovering that many of my favorite houses and buildings in San Jose are the work of Wolfe & Higgins, so I felt I had to do the book.”
The homes on the tour are in the greater Rose Garden neighborhood and Naglee Park. You’ve probably passed some and not realized their lineage. One of the homes on the tour is a 1928 mansion on The Alameda that once belonged to ambulance operator and San Jose power broker Charlie Bigley (It is now, perhaps ironically, owned by the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment). Another was built in 1929 as a Packard showroom and was restored in 2009 to serve as the headquarters for Biggs Cardosa Associates.
But not all of the homes were made to be mansions. Two of the Willow Glen stops are at smaller homes that still bear the signature look. “Wolfe & Higgins worked for the most prominent people in San Jose, but they also designed smaller homes for the many residence parks that were developed in San Jose in the 1920s,” Van Laan said. “This was a type of design that appealed to everyone and came to be considered the architectural style of California.”
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES >>
Last year’s CityDance San Jose series at Plaza de Cesar Chavez was such a hit that the city is bringing back the groovin’ for another season.
If you didn’t catch the dance fever last year, here’s the rundown: Each weekly event starts with professional instructors providing a 30-minute group dance lesson for a specific popular style, and then you’re on your own for the rest of the evening. There’s a beer garden and food truck available for refreshment, too.
The series kicks off Aug. 24 with Salsa, followed by Country Two-Step (Aug. 31); Hip-Hop (Sept. 7); Bollywood (Sept. 14); Disco (Sept. 21); East Coast Swing (Sept. 28); Merengue and Bachata (Oct. 5); and Zydeco (Oct. 12). The floor opens at 5:30 p.m., with lessons at 6 p.m., and it’s free to attend.
I know, no Funky Chicken, right? Maybe for next year.
WEARABLE REMINDER >>
San Jose’s Director of Economic Development Kim Walesh and Rosalynn Hughey, the city’s interim planning director, provided a rapt audience with an update on the city’s economic progress at an SVO breakfast held Thursday at the Silicon Valley Capital Club.
They covered all the bases — from upcoming residential projects to the potentially game-changing development around Diridon Station — but they got the most cheers when they gave a gift of a T-shirt emblazoned with “San Jose” to Matt Mahood, CEO of the business group that switched names from the San Jose/ Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce to the Silicon Valley organization last year.
“We know you changed your name, but we wanted to remind you,” Walesh said with a smile.
CHEERING SECTION >> The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps finished its 50th anniversary season by winning a silver medal at the Drum Corps International World Class Finals in Indianapolis last weekend among a field of 40 drum corps. The 300-member Vanguard Alumni Corps, organized to celebrate the milestone season, also made the trip and performed for the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium after Friday evening’s semifinal competition.
And a round of applause is due to more than 100 volunteers who were pulled together by Somos Mayfair last Saturday to spruce up the campus of Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the East San Jose neighborhood. With support from Microsoft, Intel, Alum Rock Union School District and Vice Mayor Magdalena Carrasco’s office, the group got out the paint brushes and rollers to add some color to the campus. What a great back-to-school gift for the returning students.