Beaux Arts Coast to Coast: The Roots of an Iconic Hillsborough Neighborhood
The architecture of the Beaux Arts cast a mighty spell on High Society from the 1890s to about 1917. From Coast to Coast, no style was more prestigious, more elegant, and more preferred amongst America's wealthiest influencers of the era. One need only compare the two monumental staircases (pictured) of New York's Henry Clay Frick House and Hillsborough's Carolands Chateau to reveal the synergy of this Coast-to-Coast grandeur. Architect Thomas Hastings of Carrere and Hastings designed Frick's house on Manhattan's Upper East Side at Fifth Avenue. Hastings was also revered for designing the New York Public Library and Palm Beach's Whitehall. Architects Carrere and Hastings had met early in their careers while mentoring under illustrious firm McKim, Mead and White. Hillsborough's Carolands was the brainchild of George Mortimer Pullman's daughter Harriet Pullman Carolan, who curated the project through architects Ernest Sanson and Willis Polk. Both Frick and Pullman's homes were under construction the same year of 1914, magnificent punctuations to the tail end of the Gilded Age.
George Mortimer Pullman (1831-1897) and Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) shared parallels not uncommon to titans of their epoch. They were two of the powerhouse industrialists of the Gilded Age, Pullman based in Chicago and Frick originally in Pittsburgh. Both were ruthless businessmen and protagonists to infamous labor strikes of the 1890s. George Pullman, pioneer to transcontinental luxury travel with his Pullman Rail Car, precipitated a lethal 1894 labor dispute that killed 30 in his self-made Pullman, Illinois. Frick was a one-time partner to Andrew Carnegie in the steel industry. In 1892, the Homestead Strike of Pennsylvania erupted amidst Frick's demands of slashed labor wages fueled by his anti-union sentiment. Frick later moved to New York where he sought to rebuild his image and retreat into a world of fine art. It was here in Manhattan where he completed an imposing Beaux Arts masterpiece in 1914: a veritable French palace to house one of the world's most important private art collections. Meanwhile, also in 1914, George Pullman's daughter Harriet was busy bringing her Francophile passions to life in the construction of the greatest house west of the Mississippi. Still standing at Hillsborough's 565 Remillard Drive, the Carolands Chateau was originally on 554 Acres overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
Analyzing the staircases of Frick House and Carolands (above) we find all the hallmarks of Beaux Arts design. Aristocratic presence was established as the opening salvo at the grand staircase. French authenticity reigns supreme. Note the the Doric colonnades, baroque iron balustrades, and scored walls evoking limestone blocks of the Old World. Marble floors, interior dentil block detail, and curving railings are all shared in the Frick/Pullman examples. These staircases were the ultimate sense of arrival, the ultimate expressions of taste and wealth.
In Hillsborough, the original 554 Acres of Carolands began a gradual subdivision in 1929. and then between 1945 - 1948, a drastic parceling off by developer Tomlinson Moseley (who had purchased the estate intact from Harriet Pullman Carolan) had reduced the original grounds to only 25 acres. Many of the streets surrounding the Chateau were spun off and named after Moseley family members such as Barbara, Craig, Darrell, Sandra, and Denise. I have just represented the sellers of 465 Barbara Way, listing at $5,788,000, receiving 3 offers and closing at $6,350,000. In 2021, I represented the sellers of the Carolands real estate for sale at 480 Pullman Road, listing at $7,388,000 and selling for $7,400,000 in one week. Also in 2021, I represented the buyers in securing the stunning modern farmhouse at 30 Mosswood pre-emptively for $6,866,000.
The 1948 subdivision of Carolands by Tomlinson Moseley paved the way for a streetscape of sprawling 1950s ranchers opening to a half-acre garden with pool. In 1954, West Elementary School opened its doors on Barbara Way, becoming the third Hillsborough public elementary school along with South and and North schools. But going back to 1929, the earliest subdivision of Carolands (while still under Harriet's control) spawned a prestigious sub-district of 2-Acre minimum lot sizes. The lands were fairly far away from the Chateau itself, so as to preserve the privacy of the surrounding gardens. I call this area the 2-Acre Corridor, found along blocks of upper Ralston, Pullman, Pinehill, San Raymundo, and Robin Roads. Here, epic estates with Bay Views and privacy will rival the highest prices of Lower Hillsborough.
Here are representative Hillsborough sales since 2018 in the 2-Acre Corridor location:
The Carolands neighborhood offers a bit of everything: from classic ranchers on half-acre lots, to new luxury constructions from the 2000s, and glamorous Bay-view estates on 2 acre minimums. Values accordingly can range from $4,000,000 and up to $20,000,000+. Flat streets around West School such as Darrell, Barbara, Craig, and Remillard proliferate with 1950s ranchers as the California suburban dream. The 600 block of Pullman and 500 block of Craig Road present good examples of newer 2-story luxury homes built-out to maximize their mostly half-acre lot coverages. All of Carolands enjoys easy proximity to Highway 280, and is served by the main artery of Chateau Drive (a straight shot up and down the hill) linking downtown Burlingame and commute highways.
As always, I am only a quick text away, at Coldwell Banker's downtown Burlingame headquarters, to answer all your questions on Sales Comps, Off Market Activity, Coming Soons, and your Hillsborough real estate planning needs. 650-455-3735 cell/text. 21 year track record!
Warm regards,
