What a Find in Lindenwood - Page 2

As a boy, Chris didn't fully appreciate Eichler architecture, as he later would. But he loved the home, especially an outdoor courtyard surrounded by the home's living areas.

An early 1950s Eichler brochure refers to Plan 37, which is the same model, including its central 'court,' as the Abramson's Hawthorne Drive home. Designed by Anshen and Allen, the home clearly features one of Joe's earliest atriums, and perhaps his very first. By 1957 the court feature would actually be called an 'atrium,' and become a central feature of Eichler homes.

"We called it an indoor garden," Chris says. "It was consistent with Eichler's objective of trying to bring the outside into the home as well. It definitely achieved that." Chris's stepfather and his third wife were dedicated gardeners with a predilection for Asia. Bonsai filled the atrium.

"They built, or designed, their own gardens and landscaping, with a number of ponds on the property with flowing water. And it was just beautiful," Chris says.

Chris, who became a human relations professional, lives today in the nearby town of San Carlos, where his wife is "a wonderful gardener and has such a sense of design."

Chris remains deeply committed to the town where he grew up, serving as a volunteer with the Atherton Heritage Association. He also wrote a reminiscence of his childhood in Lindenwood, and produces a podcast, Note the Past, that delves into stories from the Bay Area music scene of the past.

As often happens in wealthy neighborhoods with relatively compact and unpretentious homes, property values in Atherton zoom and new owners tear down.

Chris's boyhood home at 73 Hawthorne was sold by his family in the mid‐1970s. The property and the home next door, also an Eichler, were sold to an owner who demolished both, Chris says.

Today a search for 73 Hawthorne reveals an immense quasi‐Colonial built in 1998. What used to be the Eichler next door is now "a huge pool and lawn," says Chris. "When I went by for the first time and I saw that there's this big, gaudy home at 73 Hawthorne, I was really sad."

Lindenwood has lost other Eichlers over the years. Joe's own home, on nearby Irving Avenue, recently sold. Chris and many others hope the new owners preserve it.

Chris volunteers Tuesday mornings at the Atherton association's museum. "Then I go to Menlo Park and I grab a little bit of Chinese food. I park in Lindenwood," he says, and recalls his childhood. "I spend quite a bit of time roaming around the neighborhoods, because it was such a wonderful time."