How to save a house

Historic houses offer a tangible connection to a city’s past, but maintaining them is difficult and expensive. Some of Oakland’s most unique structures are currently endangered due to deferred maintenance and budget shortages. Fortunately, there are also several homes that have developed models for how to survive despite these challenges. Their goal isn’t merely to exist, but to serve as resources for the neighborhoods that have grown up around them.

To explore why saving historic homes matters, this episode features interviews with:

-Naomi Schiff of the Oakland Heritage Alliance

-Holly Alonso and Miguel Lopez of the Peralta Hacienda

-Nancy Donald and Patty Donald of the Cohen-Bray House

Find the episode via Apple, SoundCloud, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. Don’t forget to follow East Bay Yesterday’s Substack newsletter to stay updated on upcoming tours, events, and other local history news.

In addition to serving as a mini-museum, the Peralta Hacienda serves as a hub for providing various community needs, including food distribution, job training, garden plots, and much more. Listen to the interview with Miguel Lopez and Holly Alonso to hear about the evolution of this historic site.

According to Patty Donald (right), seen here with Nancy Donald, “the importance of saving the old is to learn from it.” The sisters are working to transform the Cohen-Bray House into a place where volunteers can learn craftsmanship skills while immersed in Victorian era architecture and artifacts.

The Camron-Stanford House served as Oakland’s first museum until 1965. It’s future is now in jeopardy due to Oakland’s budget crisis. Read the full story at SF Gate.

East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. Don’t forget to follow East Bay Yesterday’s Substack newsletter to stay updated on upcoming tours, events, and other local history news.

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