FOREST AVENUE
Dad had a good steady job at Caterpillar where he had been since
1928. He and mom were renting an apartment just across the
Oakland city line from mom’s folks, Annie and Barton Swinnock, on
Durant Avenue and they were ready to have there own home and
raise a family. Together they designed their dream home, dad drew
up the plans and they purchased a 1/3 acre parcel on a gravel road
off the Lincoln Highway and adjacent to a seasonal creek in rural
Castro Valley. Mom and dad probably lost sleep for a while since land
in Castro Valley was selling for whopping $45 an acre and after
borrowing $400 towards building supplies from the the Castro Valley
Lumber Company and committing to repay $800....100% interest! We
know that a small temporary building was built on the property prior to
the beginning of home construction, however we are insure if mom
and dad lived there during the two years of construction or if they
remained in their Oakland apartment. Dad did most all of the work on
the home in the days before Bobcat trenchers, nail guns and skill
saws including trenching and pouring the foundation, framing,
plumbing and septic system construction, wiring, roofing and the
finish work of painting and installing hardwood floors. Dad’s longtime
buddies Joe Gross, Min, Frank Clark and brother-in-law Ken Owen
were on hand to help out, while professional interior plastering was
handled by dad’s brother-in-law Al Weland. No doubt there were long
days and sore muscles when a welcome break was a light dinner
around an evening campfire. After nearly two years, Bill and Connie’s
dream home was completed. The new 2 bedroom home at 19828
Forest Avenue had a living room with exposed beams, fireplace,
dining room, knotty pine kitchen and breakfast nook, in-floor heaters
as well has a rooftop sun deck with views of the Castro Valley’s rolling
hills and scattered chicken ranches. I was born in 1942 and when Jim
came along 2 years later we shared a bedroom during which time
Dad added on a “rumpus room” including his own photography
darkroom, patio and brick BBQ. Debi’s birth in 1955 spurred dad to
design and build two additional bedrooms and a second bathroom. I
remember my bedroom having “space” themed wallpaper and glitter
stars on the ceiling! Cindy and family lived in the family home for
several years after dad and mom’s passing, and having our own
homes and unable to take on the needed repairs and maintenance of
the 50 year old house, Debi, Jim and I sold our childhood home to our
caretaker neighbor who had coveted it for some time.
In all, dad built 4 houses in eclectic Castro Valley, our home on Forest
Avenue that continues to provide countless family memories, a “spec”
house up the street, and two of houses on Silvera Lane, all of which
still exist and are documented in dad’s home movies, one of which
can be seen on-line at A Look Back in Time on the home page of the
Vanderbilt Family Builders, Inc. website: vanderbilt-home.com Dad
and mom would be astonished to know that the family home they built
for less than $1000 ninety years ago is currently listed in the “low one
millions”. (10/22/20)
