Barbara's Random Thoughts

The weekend I moved, Anne pointed out to me that my neighborhood is full of Eichler homes. I had never heard of Eichler homes before, but now the subject fascinates me. I walked to Bible study last night, and couldn't help but admire all the Eichlers I passed on the way to church.

Joseph Eichler was a real estate developer and home designer. He designed suburban tract homes in California between 1949 and 1974, mainly in the Bay area. (Except for 3 homes built in New York. With the atriums and large windows that were characteristic of his designs, I don't know how that worked.) Palo Alto has the largest concentration of Eichler homes in California, and I live right next to Los Arboles, one of the last neighborhoods of Eichler homes to be built before Eichler's death in 1974.

I find this intriguing right now. If you're interested, more history on Eichler can be found here.

And I just have to share this quote from the above page:

Joe [Eichler] resigned from the National Association of Home Builders in 1958 in protest of racial discrimination policies and, according to reports from long-time Eichler owners, offered to buy back homes from those who had trouble accepting their neighbors.

"If, as you claim, this will destroy property values," Joe once told some disgruntled Eichler owners, "I could lose millions...You should be ashamed of yourselves for wasting your time and mine with such pettiness."

I like this guy.