1908 Photo

Commentary about this photo:

Jon Stewart: The white house in the center is 1221 Oxford.

Susan Schwartz: This would have been just a couple of years after Oxford was made a through street by running it through the former Byrne property -- the curve was to leave more front yard for the house. Neighbors had objected, back in 1904, at the idea of building Berryman Street through, so it remains [Berryman] path. The two stands of what look like dense young redwoods are interesting; redwoods were not native to Berkeley.

Dan McLoughlin: When I moved to the neighborhood in 1987, the shell of the Byrne mansion (on the site of what is now Beth El) was still standing and was taken down (if I’m recalling this correctly) in about 1988.

Julie Dempster: You can't see any of the Byrne house [in this photo].

David Dempster: ...the roof visible in the foreground is 2201 Glen Ave. The photo angle is definitely from 2204 Glen Ave.

Tom Appleton: I wonder if the ornate White House at the top right of the picture might have fallen victim to the fire in the twenties? I also would be curious to find out if there are structural remnants of the water tower that was on top of the house near the top of the block, you can just make it out in front of the White House?

Julie Dempster: I don't believe the fire hit that area. I believe it was to the South and East. My husband's great aunt said they were in the house (our current home) and they could hear it to the east roaring, then the winds shifted and it burned back on itself and that's when it died down.

Tom Appleton: I know the fire burned along Euclid, but it also burned at Spruce and Marin (not visible in this photo)....