Amazing Berkeley Compound

We've uncovered a true rarity this week—an authentic mid-century artist enclave in the Elmwood district of Berkeley, intimately surrounded by nature and spectacular views of the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay bridges.

"Here's an incredibly unique opportunity for someone who understands what they're looking at, and who has the sophistication to see the original vision as an artist colony," says listing agent Andrea Gordon of Compass Realty, about the property of four-plus residential structures at 3367-3455 Dwight Way listed for $2.399 million.

"These are small, choice cottages on a magnificent piece of land that should be preserved, perhaps as a retreat center," says Gordon. "In all, there are five units total, four cottages and one duplex, all with a remarkable history."

The way the houses came to be is fascinating, to say the least. According to a historical narrative written by Anne Hightower, who inherited the property after the original owner/builder passed in 1983, "The four houses that form the compound addressed as 3367-3455 Dwight Way were hand-built in the mid-1950s by Judd Boynton, world traveler, designer, builder, raconteur, playwright, writer, and astronomer."

Boynton was born in 1913 to Florence Treadwell Boynton and Charles E. Boynton and, according to the history, was "raised with his seven siblings in the Temple of the Wings [on Berkeley's Buena Vista Way], a Greek-style temple designed and built by his mother, the half-sister of Isadora Duncan," the internationally acclaimed dancer (1877-1927). In that Temple, Mrs. Boynton and Isadora Duncan are said to have created modern dance.

The Boyntons purchased the land from renowned American architect Bernard Maybeck (1862-1957), who was based in the Bay Area. Maybeck wished to create an artist colony on the hill and sold lots to select friends and acquaintances. Eventually, the area became known as 'Nut Hill.' In 1923, the Temple burned in a fire but was completely rebuilt, with spaces for living and studios for dance.