Red Oak Realty Lists Early 20th Century Mansion Built for East Bay Real Estate Mogul John Hopkins Spring

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Oak Realty today announced that the historic John Hopkins Spring mansion is up for sale at $6.495 million.

Located in the Berkeley Hills on San Antonio and Arlington Avenue, the mansion and its surroundings occupy three-plus acres. The estate, which was built in 1912 as the private residence of real estate investor and developer, John Hopkins Spring, has been listed by Red Oak Realty on behalf of the seller of the property, Monument Properties 5 LLC.

Designated as an historic landmark by the City of Berkeley in 2000, the mansion was modeled after Empress Elisabeth of Austria's Achillion Palace on the Greek island of Corfu. Designed by architect John Hudson Thomas, it is the only residence in the San Francisco Bay Area that is constructed entirely of steel-reinforced concrete.    

The eight-bedroom, 12,000 square foot residence spans two-and-a-half of the estate's three plus acres and reflects influences of the popular Arts and Crafts style as well as Vienna Secessionist and Egyptian motifs.

The Gate House, a smaller, three-bedroom, two-bath home, complements the mansion with a similar exterior. It is situated on a separate parcel that measures 12,000+ square feet. Two more parcels of land -- each measuring approximately 10,000 square feet -- comprise the remainder of the Spring Estate and can be purchased wholly, together with the mansion and Gate House. Alternatively, the mansion, Gate House and two additional parcels can each be purchased separately.

From Private Residence to Center for Creative Expression

As a prominent land developer of the time and one of the original investors in the Claremont Hotel, John Hopkins Spring, played an influential role in the early growth of the East Bay. By 1915, he owned the Berkeley neighborhoods of Thousand Oaks and Arlington Heights in their entirety as well as large portions of Albany and Northbrae, according to the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.

Spring lived in the mansion for a brief time with his first wife, Celina. In 1917, he sold the property to educator Cora L. Williams, who then established the Institute of Creative Development, a progressive elementary and secondary school. The Institute, later named Williams College, occupied the mansion for more than five decades. During that time, students learned from renowned guest lecturers and were taught Interpretive Dance, which was inspired by Isadora Duncan.

About Red Oak Realty

Founded in 1976, Red Oak Realty is one of the largest independent real estate brokerages within the Oakland and Berkeley communities and surrounding cities. Named one of the most productive 25 companies in the Bay Area by The San Francisco Business Times, Red Oak Realty offers its clients a proactive administrative staff, state-of-the-art technology and dedicated agents who are committed to putting clients' needs first. For more information, visit www.redoakrealty.com or call (510) 292-2000.

SOURCE Red Oak Realty

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