Palo Alto Eichler Homes

 

Joseph Eichler built more homes in Palo Alto than in any other community in the Bay Area. Originally home to over 2700 Eichler Homes, Palo Alto has seen many Eichlers torn down over the years and by our estimation, there are only ~2200 Eichler homes remaining. Over the past decade, there has been an effort by Eichler homeowners to preserve the remaining Eichler homes. Some neighborhoods such as; Channing Park, Tripel El, Greer Park, Los Arboles, Meadow Park, Greenmeadow, Walnut Grove, Charleston Meadows and El Centro Gardens have gotten the City to approve single-story overlays which increases the probability of preservation.

Both Greenmeadow and Green Gables neighborhoods are on the National Register of Historic Places. And in 2018 the City of Palo Alto released Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines with the purpose of maintaining the Eichler neighborhood character when homes in the neighborhoods are expanded or rebuilt. Greenmeadow was one of Joespth Eichler’s first attempts on a more upscale market and many of the homes are larger 4-bedroom models. Greenmeadow has a neighborhood community center including a pool, park, and game courts, as well as two multi-family Eichler condominium developments. You can see two such townhomes with 143 Greenmeadow Way and 151 Greenmeadow Way.

The first Eichler homes in Palo Alto were built in the University Gardens Tract in 1949-1950. Most of the Eichler homes in Palo Alto were built throughout the 1950s. There were two tracts built in the 1960s, Los Arboles and Greenmeadow No. 3. Joseph Eichler also built three tracts in the 1970s, Midcourt, Community Center and Los Arboles Addition No. 2. Eichlers last tract, the Los Arboles Addition, also included several original 2-story Eichler homes designed by Claude Oakland. Also, Midfair and Fairpark are two early Eichler neighborhoods in Palo Alto’s Midtown neighborhood.  The small Midfair tract lies on Allen Court, while the larger, Fairpark is located along Marshall Drive, Moreno Avenue, and Louis Road.