F.M "Borax" Smith Estate Tour

Visit the site of Arbor Villa, Francis Marion “Borax” Smith’s palatial estate. Smith founded an international industry (“20-Mule Team Borax”), established the Key Route System, and became one of Oakland’s most famous, colorful entrepreneurs. The tour visits the site of Oak Hall, the 9th Ave. palm trees, the Mary R. Smith Cottages and other historic houses, including ones designed by Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan.

This tour is a 2-mile round trip walk, with some hills.

Location: Meet at the redwood tree, corner of McKinley Avenue and Horne Place East (1 block off Park Boulevard).

Tour Guide: Phil Bellman is a longtime Oakland resident. He has a keen interest in architectural history and historic preservation. He previously served on the OHA board and as the editor of the OHA News. For more than 30 years, he has led tours of FM Smith’s Oakland estate and his early borax works in Nevada. Having grown up on the Mojave desert, Phil has an affinity and appreciation of Smith as a borax pioneer. Phil is now retired after working for 40 years in public health and healthcare in the East Bay. He can frequently be found hiking the trails of the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevadas, and currently volunteers with the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

NOTES:

• PLEASE MEET 15 MINUTES BEFORE listed time to allow for registration.
• We kindly request you register in advance. In-person registration will be first-come-first-served on a space available basis. We cannot guarantee a spot will be available.
• We offer fee waivers for low-income residents— just ask!
• Comfortable walking shoes, sun hats and sunscreen are recommended. Bring water.
• Vouchers and any other special circumstances should be handled in adavance. Please email [email protected]
• Check your email the morning of the walking tour for any last-minute changes, clarifications, or cancellation.
• If you need assistance navigating Eventbrite, please reach out to us at [email protected] or call our office at (510) 763-9218 and we’d be happy to help.
• Due to the ongoing presence of Covid, we will continue to make masks available. If you feel ill the day of a tour, please stay home. If after a tour, you become ill and test positive, please let us know as soon as possible. Thank you.
• Please check out the profiles of tour leaders. We are grateful for their skill and generosity.
• These tours support Oakland Heritage Alliance, a non-profit that tells Oakland’s story through walking tours, lectures, newsletters and advocacy. We welcome volunteers and new members!

Accessibility Note:

Those using assisted mobility devices may find this tour difficult-- path is often unpaved. This walk has hills.

About Oakland Heritage Alliance

Oakland Heritage Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization which advocates the protection, preservation, and revitalization of Oakland's architectural, historic, cultural and natural resources through publications, education, and direct action.

About Our Walking Tours

Oakland Heritage Alliance sponsors a walking tour series each summer.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

McKinley Avenue, McKinley Avenue, Berkeley, United States