Uplands beauty can still be appreciated

When W. D. M. Howard bought land on our Peninsula in 1853, one section of the property was referred to as "the uplands” because it was on the hilly portion. In 1878, the Howard family built a 36-room mansion there and named it "Uplands” for the location.

Years later Charles F. Crocker bought the house and surrounding land. Crocker was the son of the "Big Four” railroad tycoon. He died that same year, but his mother-in-law, Addie Easton, and his three children continued to live in the house. Crocker’s wife had died some years before and the child rearing was taken over by her mother.

Ultimately, ownership of the land fell to Templeton, son of Charles F. Crocker. One sister had died and the other sold her interest to her brother. In 1911, Templeton decided he wanted to build a new home on the site as a wedding gift for his bride. She was C&H Sugar heiress Helene Irwin.

A local contractor agreed to move the old house, clearing the way for construction. Noted San Francisco architect Willis Polk designed a Neoclassic Renaissance mansion for the new Uplands. Polk and Crocker set off for Europe to buy ornaments and hire craftsmen. The mansion that resulted was considered at the time to be the finest in the county. It had 39 rooms, including 12 bedrooms and 12 baths. The materials were the best available. Plans had included lavish Carrara marble columns and a terra cotta exterior finish. World War I interfered with these plans, however, so steel reinforced concrete was used in the columns and cement plaster on the exterior walls. Most of the ornaments purchased in Europe had already arrived, so the artisans were able to install the rich fittings.

Hand carved marble mantelpieces, sconces, ceilings and wall hangings adorned the 35,000-square-foot living area. The interior was intended to resemble a palazzo, with a gallery around the courtyard-like ballroom. Italian ornamentation complimented the look. The house included an elevator, four staircases, wine cellar, dumbwaiter and mezzanine rooms for the staff. The cost was $1.6 million. That would be in 1917 dollars.

Construction was finally finished in that year and the Crockers entertained lavishly in their new country home. Guests could travel by train and be chauffeured up from the station by car. There were nine guest rooms for weekend visitors who could be amused with tennis, swimming and riding during the day. The marriage ended in 1927 in divorce. After that Crocker spent most of his time at his San Francisco apartment. He sold the mansion in 1942 to the Jacks family. In 1951 the Russian Consulate rented it from Mrs. Jacks for the Japanese Peace Conference. The Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers was signed in San Francisco that year, and Russia had a sizable delegation in attendance.

They arranged cleaning and refurbishing to make Uplands suitable for their stay. After that the place remained unoccupied and much of the surrounding estate was sold and developed. In 1956 the Crocker family bought Uplands back. A sale was arranged to the Trustees of Crystal Springs School, and the mansion and the remaining 10 acres have been converted into the private school.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City.