From Earthquake to Expansion: The Story of Grand Avenue Heights

Our Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays group had a good turnout of 43 walkers and six K-9 best friends at the Exedra last Wednesday on a mild, overcast morning for our last walk of spring 2026.

We had not walked the streets and seen the homes that were part of the early “Grand Avenue Heights” neighborhood development for over two years. The borders of this old piece of largely forgotten Piedmont history were on Grand Avenue, Boulevard Way, and Crofton, Fairbanks, Walker, and Weldon Avenues in Piedmont and Oakland. Historical photos from the time show how rural this area was at the time. See the attached picture from Meghan Bennett. Additionally, the also attached development’s site map reveals that back then the road of today’s Wildwood Avenue was called Highland Avenue and today’s Fairview Avenue was named Piedmont Avenue.

Before starting off on our walk, we talked about how this development fit into the history of the times. Oakland was shaken hard by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but it escaped the catastrophic destruction in San Francisco. Oakland suffered significant structural damage, infrastructure failures, and a massive refugee influx, but relatively few deaths and no citywide firestorm. Ferry service across the bay became a lifeline as San Franciscans fled the burning city. Oakland's biggest role was as a refugee center.

The most dramatic effect on Oakland was not physical damage but population growth. Within three days of the earthquake and fires, more than 150,000 refugees crossed the bay to Oakland. The city's population essentially doubled almost overnight. Schools, churches, public buildings, and private homes were converted into shelters. Many refugees eventually returned to San Francisco, but thousands stayed permanently, helping accelerate Oakland's growth during the early 20th century.

As a result of this population growth and the associated demand for housing, “Grand Avenue Heights” was developed in 1907. In 1910 the Oakland Tribune wrote, “Grand Avenue Heights is situated on Grand Avenue between the head of Lake Merritt and Piedmont. At one time, this area was called Pleasant Valley. Grand Avenue Heights enjoys the finest climate in Oakland (and that means the best in the State). It is the greatest place in the world for children who can sleep out upon the sleeping porches 365 nights in the year. It is free from fog and heavy winds. It is between the two most fashionable residential districts in the county – Adams Point and Piedmont.” The advertisements also referred to the development as “Grand Avenue Heights (By The Parks),” and it was in fact between Piedmont Park and Lake Merritt.

The Frank K. Mott Company was the development’s sales agent. Beyond this role, Mott was also the mayor of Oakland from 1905 to 1915. He was known as "The Mayor Who Built Oakland" because he presided over the disaster relief in Oakland. Mott’s advertisements for the development proclaimed, “Soon to be the center of Oakland’s most exclusive residence district … it overlooks Piedmont Park … part of the development is in Piedmont.” On Oct 21, 1908, the Oakland Tribune reported, “Over 3,000 people attended the opening day sale, and they sold between $50,000 and $79,000 in lots that first day. The average lot was about $2,000 with $300 down and $25 a month.” This was intended to be a “high class”  residential neighborhood, and all homes had to cost $3,500 or more to build.

We started off for the streets of Grand Avenue Heights by going through Piedmont Park on its upper trail. We emerged on Wildwood Avenue and went past Wildwood School where happy students were enjoying outside recess time. We continued down to the “Five Way Stop” intersection of Wallace Road, and Winsor, Warfield, and Wildwood Avenues. We went up Warfield to Boulevard Way, and on Boulevard we crossed the city border into Oakland. We went up Crofton and took a group photo at its corner with Walker, which seemed appropriate, in front of a Grand Avenue Heights home that was built in 1920.

We went up Walker and checked out two neighboring homes. The one at 1025 Walker was built in 1914 and the other at 1031 in 1910. We came to Weldon Avenue and went down it to Grand. We turned right back towards Piedmont and noted a building built in 1915 that was clearly an old Grand Avenue Heights home at 3824 Grand but is now a commercial property.

We started our return to the Exedra by going up Boulevard past Grand Piedmont Liquors without going inside and then past homes at 513, 530, 534 Boulevard that were all built in 1912. We returned to Warfield and the Five Way Stop and retraced our steps to the Exedra, again going up Wildwood and through Piedmont Park, but this time on its lower trail. It was also a little longer walk than usual, but no one seemed to mind. We had been to the Heights.