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Kingston Avenue Chronicles: Victorian Houses, Name Changes, and Rogue Chickens




The heat wave finally broke last Wednesday, just in time for our Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays group’s weekly walk. We had taken it a little easier the prior two weeks because of the heat, but with the temperature in the 60s, it was a good morning for a longer walk.

 

We decided to go see the Rose and Kingston Avenues on the northwest side of Piedmont that we hadn't gone to this year. These streets are some of Piedmont’s earliest with many old homes and some beautiful Victorians. There was a strong turnout of 51 walkers and five K-9 best friends on hand at the Exedra for it.

 

We headed off, going down Highland Avenue to Park Way. We took a right on Bonita and went down Ramona and Ronada Avenues to Grand Avenue just before it becomes Oakland’s Pleasant Valley Road at Moraga Avenue. We couldn’t resist going down and back the hardly ever visited Parkside Drive cul-de-sac, just so we could say we had been to it. Then, it was across Grand Avenue, past a brightly painted home on the corner, and up Rose Avenue to where homes on the right are in Oakland and homes on the left are in Piedmont.

 

We enjoyed Rose’s many old, lovely homes that were built in the 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. We went past three especially charming Victorians on Rose, one that was built in 1895. We went down to Linda Avenue and crossed it to go up Kingston. In this 700 block of Kingston the homes on the north side are also in Oakland and the homes on the south side are in Piedmont. To our surprise, there on Kingston was Meghan B. She was taking a break from an online meeting and came out to be with us. Meghan grew up at 780 Kingston and is renting a house on Kingston while her Grand Avenue home is being remodeled.

 

Research by Piedmont Historical Society President Gail provided the story of Meghan’s old home and that of the house next door at 778. These two homes were built in 1892 by William Vickery and his sister, Elizabeth Vickery Hadden, at costs of $4,300 and $3,300. They were the first homes on this street that was then called Summit Avenue. Meghan shared an article from the September 19, 1904 issue of the Oakland Enquirer. It said ten property owners had sent a petition to the City Council asking to change the street’s name from Summit to Kingston. No reason for the request was given.

 

These houses were built in the fashionable shingle style of the 1890s. The backyard of the house at 778 is one of the deepest in Piedmont going back 150 feet and the entire lot is 220 feet deep. Google Maps shows the backyard of the home at 784 is even deeper. Neighborhood lore says the two houses once shared a kitchen and the two families ate their meals together.

 

There are many wonderful homes on Kingston, but the classic Victoria at 836 is one of the best. It was built in 1885 on nearby Monte Vista Avenue in Oakland and move one block in 1910 to its current location. Meghan told us the lot on the house’s left belongs to the house next door and has always been vacant. We took a group photo in front of this beautiful home.

 

Nancy D wanted us to see a historic brick home a little further up Kingston. It was designed by Albert Farr and built in 1908. An iron gate blocks the driveway entrance with the house further back. Its current owner is Chad O who also owns Mulberry’s Market in Piedmont. We noticed a chicken coop with live chickens just inside the gate, and one was out patrolling the front yard.

 

Going to the far reaches of Piedmont was a longer walk than usual for us, and it was time for us to make our return to the Exedra. We went back up Kingston to and down Greenbank Avenue, across Grand Avenue, up to Oakland, El Cerrito, and Magnolia Avenues. We had a good, long walk with wonderful, old homes, some history, and lots of friends on a lovely morning.

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