The Alameda Architectural Preservation Society has hosted Legacy Home Tours since 1973, and, given that Alameda has more than 4,000 buildings on historic study lists in many architectural styles, it has never run out of interesting material to present. This year’s annual fundraiser for the AAPS will join the technological age and the need for social distancing with a self-guided, outdoor walking tour of the city’s Bay Station Heritage Area.

Beginning Sept. 27, participants can use a phone app, good for 30 days, to enjoy pictures, audio clips and commentary by Alameda historian Woody Minor to learn about the 31 Marcuse & Remmel houses on the tour that give this neighborhood its unique characteristics. The idea of using a My Tours app as part of the home tour was already considered last year, when tour organizers realized there weren’t enough guidebooks for everyone, putting them one step ahead when COVID-19 restrictions made social distancing necessary.

On Sept. 27, there will likely be the usual participants in 1800s attire (costumes are optional), this year strolling Pacific Avenue to view homes in the neighborhood near Lincoln Avenue and Sherman Street. Organizers note that the tour is offered as an outdoor activity and that all county health and safety measures are to be observed, including wearing masks and not congregating with those outside one’s own household or social bubble to walk the tour.

“We wanted to make sure we still had our event, the home tour, and to make it safe and accessible to everybody, so the idea of having an outdoor walking tour with the expertise of Woody Minor as our host would give us what we were looking for,” said Alameda Legacy Home Tour chair Conchita Perales. “People could still look at the houses, learn about their history and have a day out with family.”

This year’s tour actually offers several viewing options — the downloaded app can be also be enjoyed from home, as there is a PDF with a written copy and a keepsake color booklet available for the first time, including house write-ups, good-quality photos and a history of the area. Regardless of viewing method, the star of the day is Bay Station Heritage Area, chosen for this year’s tour for two important reasons. First, Woody Minor had already chosen and researched the area for his “Woody Walk,” canceled when the pandemic hit, and second, a significant reason is that Pacific Avenue is one of Alameda’s “Slow Streets” that are now closed to most vehicle traffic.

“That makes it a perfect street to have groups of people walking around, keeping their distance and not worrying about traffic. So it was a good coincidence that both of those things happened and we were able to take advantage of that situation,” Perales said. “We’ll also have costumed, masked docents walking around (on Sept. 27) to set the ambience and answer questions.”

The firm of Marcuse & Remmel was the most prolific of Alameda’s many homebuilders, and the dozens of high-basement cottages in Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style in the Bay Station Heritage Area built in the 1890s have the distinction of being the single largest concentration of Marcuse & Remmel homes. The earliest homes, simple cottages, were built in 1891 and 1892, and the later homes, elaborate Queen Annes and Colonial Revivals, were built from 1898 to 1900.

“This area speaks to the development of Marcuse & Remmel as a firm of builders as they evolved from the first to the last houses. A very intense period in Alameda’s architectural history, an evolution, it shows how they moved and changed with the times,” Perales said. “This is also very important to AAPS because we want to bring attention and awareness to poorer neighborhoods in Alameda that are historic.”

The tour begins with a thorough introduction by Woody Minor to the area, its history and how it got developed, in a manner that transports the listener to another time and sets the tour’s tone. Alameda historian Judith Lynch describes each house in general detail, followed by Minor’s loose, off-the-cuff comments about different features.

“He’s not reading official copy, it’s more like you’re listening in to a conversation of someone making comments about each house,” Lynch said. “It’s fun, and we encourage people to do the tour in person so that as you stand in front of the house you can see what he’s talking about.”

Along with the walking tour, two activities for all ages will run throughout the month, an architectural scavenger hunt and an art game that requests viewers to draw whatever inspires them from the tour. Submissions will be posted on the AAPS website and are eligible for prizes.

This year’s tour is also meant as a reminder to Alamedans of the importance of preserving historic neighborhoods and protecting them from overdevelopment. The AAPS opposes this fall’s ballot Measure Z that would eliminate the city’s 1973 prohibition on multifamily housing construction because they say Measure Z would incentivize demolition of the city’s classic houses for development. Measure Z’s supporters say the city’s 1980 historical preservation ordinance helps address that concern.

“This is an important election; we’re very interested in people looking at our neighborhoods and realizing they are important areas, neighborhoods and homes, that need to be preserved and restored for the future of Alameda,” Perales said. “It doesn’t matter what shape they’re in; it’s about preserving our history and our architectural heritage and encouraging people to restore their homes.”

Proceeds from the tour will go toward funding AAPS lectures, printing the newsletter, preservation awards to homeowners and businesses that have restored their facades and toward future projects. The society plans on continuing with a digital format as a way to preserve and provide access to past tours. Perales encourages people to participate in touring the Bay Station Heritage Area, which doesn’t normally get highlighted.

“Just like the Gold Coast with all the big houses, this is another of our heritage areas, and we’re thankful to bring attention to it,” she said. “We want people to realize there are other historic areas in Alameda that need preservation and awareness and for people to vote ‘no’ on Measure Z.”

Marta Yamamoto is a freelance writer, longtime Bay Area resident and outdoor enthusiast. Contact her at martayam@gmail.com.

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FYI

Bay Station Heritage Area Tour: Sept. 27 to Oct. 26. Tickets and printed guidebook information are available at alameda-legacy-home-tour.org.
Alameda Architectural Preservation Society: alameda-preservation.org