Palo Alto Stanford Heritage |
 |
| Inventory photo | Photo taken April 16, 2012 |
The following is from the Historic Buildings Inventory as revised in 1985:
This austere and simple two–story vernacular house is sheathed in shiplap and has a shingled gable and turned porch columns as its only decorative features. The porch railing is a later addition. A rear cottage was added in 1928.
This is a typical example of minimally–ornamented vernacular design. The house originally had a Lincoln Avenue address when it was owned and occupied by Mrs. Caroline S. Kendall, the widow of Paul R. Kendall, a prominent mid–Western educator who came to California for his health in 1875 and taught in the state for eighteen years. With Mrs. Kendall lived her daughters Flora and Marian, both teachers (the latter, mainly in Chicago).
In 1923, Frank W. Fox, the local contractor, purchased the property from the estate of Marian Kendall. He cleared the corner lots for new houses by moving the Kendall house to its present location facing Webster, and took down the water tank and tank house. The house was first rented but then sold to Wilfred W. Goodlive and his wife Frances, who moved from their early home at 150 Webster Street (still extant 1978). The Goodlives came to the city in 1907. After a few years as a carpenter and streetcar conductor, he established a parcel delivery business which he maintained until past the mid-century. His wife was a typing and shorthand teacher in the P. A. Adult Education program for twenty–two years. Since her death in 1969, the property has been used for rentals.
Dennis A. Levett was the owner in 1978. The most recent owner, Brigitte Gassée, was awarded a PAST Preservation Award in 2012 for the home's rehabilitation.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Location map |
This house was built in 1894 and is a Category 4 on the Historic Buildings Inventory. The builder was George W. Mosher. The property measures 50 by 200 feet.
Sources: Palo Alto City Directories; Palo Alto Times 1/5/1894, 3/29/1904, 9/5/1923, 1/1/1924, 12/5/1928, 2/19/1948, 7/28/1956, 11/11/1969' book 55 (Off. Rec.), p. 230-231, 11/16/23; Book 430 (Off. Rec.), pp. 214-15, 10/24/28. and pp. 215-17, 9/1/28 (Santa Clara Co. Recorder); compare sites of house shown in 1908 and 1924 editions of Sandborn Map Co. Fire Insurance Maps of Palo Alto (P.A. Library and P.A. Historical Association.
E-mail us at either webmaster@pastheritage.org or president@pastheritage.org.
Palo Alto Stanford Heritage—Dedicated to the preservation of Palo Alto's historic buildings.
Copyright © 2017 Palo Alto Stanford Heritage. All rights reserved.