Attachment 2 - Letter of Justification
History of 17269 Verdes Robles, Los Gatos, CA 95030
APN 424-30-103
Bonnie Montgomery, Historical Consultant
421 N 5th St
San Jose, CA 95112
bayandvalleybooks@gmail.com
408-439-9073
The parcel 424-30-103 was in unincorporated Santa Clara County until it came under the
jurisdiction of the Town of Los Gatos on April 1, 1968, with the Winchester Blvd No. 5
annexation.1 The County of Santa Clara provided two documents upon request: (1) the
Assessor’s Residential Unit Property Record, which documented changes from 1964 to 1993, and
(2) a county building permit from 1966 for a detached carport which has since been demolished
(Appendix A). The Town of Los Gatos building department supplied an 18-page PDF document
of building permits issued between 1989 and 2004 (Appendix B). The Town of Los Gatos
planning department supplied a 50-page PDF document of permits and correspondence between
1979 and 1991 (Appendix C). Site photographs taken on March 14, 2025, appear in Appendix D.
These documents will be described in the chronology that follows.
Having been annexed into the Town of Los Gatos in 1968, this parcel did not appear during a
search at the Los Gatos Public Library on the Los Gatos Sanborn maps available between 1884
and 1944. Likewise, it is absent from the 1941 Tax Assessment and the 1989 Anne Bloomfield
Historic Resource Survey forms.
The history prepared here relies on Polk’s directory listings, Los Gatos telephone directories,
county assessor’s records, county official records, recorded maps, aerial photographs, newspaper
articles, Town of Los Gatos and County of Santa Clara building permits, and genealogical
resources as referenced in the footnotes and the figures.
The subject property is part of the historic Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos. Members of the Parr
family came on the overland trail to California in 1846. They settled throughout the Santa Clara
Valley, some members purchasing portions of Rancho Rinconada.2 On the 1876 Thompson &
West map, the subject property is in the 536.36-acre tract owned by Harrison D. Albright,
husband of Sarah Ann Parr (Figure 1). Sarah, daughter of Jonathan and Eliza Jane Parr, was an
infant in 1846 when her parents brought her West. On the 1890 Official Map of Santa Clara
County, Mrs. Albright had ownership of 323 acres of the original 535.36-acre tract (Figure 2).
The subject property was on the east side of San Tomas Aquino Road (now Winchester
Boulevard).
Sarah Ann Albright died on October 22, 1893, at the age of 47. Her relatives contested her will in
court through the 1890s. In 1904, attorney David H. Milligan arrived in Los Gatos from Ohio. He
set up a law practice and a real-estate firm.3 By 1907, Milligan was in control of some portion of
the Albright property on the east side of San Tomas Aquino Road. On August 19, 1907, he sold
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ATTACHMENT 2
15 acres of it to Lillian Gould (Santa Clara County [hereafter SCC] Deeds Book 321, Page 430).
Lillian M. Gould was the wife of John W. Gould, a native of Santa Clara.4
Figure 1. 1876 Thompson & West map of Santa Clara
County (Source: David Rumsey Map Collection).
Figure 2. 1890 Official Map of Santa Clara County
(Source: Library of Congress).
In April 1909, the San Jose real estate firm of Christmas & Orvis subdivided part of Sarah
Albright’s property on the east side of San Tomas Aquino Road into the Vasona Heights tract
(SCC Recorded Maps Book M, Page 89). The subdivision was on the northern boundary of the
property of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Gould (Figure 3). There is evidence that the Goulds lived on their
15 acres. They are listed living along San Tomas Aquino Road in the 1910 census. Mr. Gould’s
occupation was farming. On April 3, 1913, the Los Gatos Mail-News reported that “Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Champlin, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were guests last week of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Gould,
near Vasona Heights.” The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office estimates that the house on this
property was built in 1915. This newspaper blurb is evidence that the house was occupied at least
in 1913 and could have been built as early as 1907.
On April 22, 1913, Mr. and Mrs. Gould exchanged their 15 acres for a house at 72 N 8th Street in
San Jose (SCC Deeds Book 400, Page 165; Book 401, Page 381). “F. E. Quinn” was the other party
in the transaction. This appears to have been Frances E. Quinn, a stenographer in the employ of
“millionaire fruit packer” James W. Chilton. Unmarried female clerks often stood in for actual
buyers who wished to keep their business out of public records. In this case, Mr. Chilton might
have been keeping a secret from his wife. On June 27, 1913, the San Francisco Call reported that
Mrs. Chilton was suing her husband for divorce, having discovered that Miss Quinn “had
supplanted her in her husband’s affections.”5 The following week, Miss Quinn sold the 15 acres
to Julia M. Graham (SCC Deeds Book 406, Page 25).
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These 15 acres changed hands a few times during the 1910s:
Date Grantor Grantee SCC Deeds Book Page
July 29, 1914 Julia M. Graham C. R. Stoller 420 526
April 16, 1916 C R Stoller Elizabeth B Dodson 442 320
Unknown date Elizabeth B Dodson F S Gee (a widow in Berkeley) Unknown Unknown
May 28, 1919 F S Gee Edythe A Thomas 488 525
No evidence was found that any of these owners, before Edythe A. Thomas, lived on the
property.
Edythe A. Thomas, her husband, Wendell C. Thomas, and their son Mark were living on the
property in the 1920 census. Wendell’s occupation was fruit farmer. Wendell C. Thomas is listed
in the 1921 Los Gatos telephone directory. The San Jose Mercury reported on June 26, 1921, that
Mrs. Wendell was entertaining a group of out-of-town friends “at her country home near Los
Gatos.”
On May 1, 1923, Wendell C. Thomas purchased 39 lots in the Vasona Heights subdivision (SCC
Official Records [hereafter OR] Book 23, Page 342). Around the same time, Mrs. Thomas had
most of their 15 acres surveyed into house lots, leaving a few acres for their house and grounds.
On May 3, 1923, the San Jose Mercury reported that Thomas had purchased the Vasona Heights
subdivision and intended to “establish a select residential district” on the land that had recently
been surveyed. On June 2, 1924, the map of that new subdivision, Buena Vista Heights, was
recorded (Figure 4; SCC Recorded Maps Book S, Page 18).
Figure 3 (left). Map of Vasona Heights, property of
J. W. Gould shaded in blue (Source: SCC Recorded
Maps Book M, Page 89).
Figure 4 (bottom). Map of Buena Vista Heights,
property of Edythe A. Thomas shaded in blue (Source:
SCC Recorded Maps Book S, Page 18).
Wendell C. Thomas went into the real estate business with partner George Shaner. They are
listed in the 1924 Los Gatos city directory, with offices in the Bank of Los Gatos building. Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas are living on rural route 1, box 154, presumably the subject property. The San
Jose Mercury reported that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas hosted their families for Christmas dinner in
1924 at the “Thomas country home ‘Wendemar’ near Los Gatos.”6
On April 17, 1925, Wendell C. Thomas recorded the covenants and restrictions for the Vasona
Heights subdivision and sold 11 lots (SCC OR Book 147, Pages 514, 518, 519; Book 155, Page
329). On December 30, 1925, Wendell C. and Edythe A. Thomas sold their home “Wendemar”
on a 3.5-acre parcel to Pauline Colmar (SCC OR Book 201, Page 510).
Figure 5 shows the first aerial photograph available for this property, taken on January 1, 1931.
The subdivision maps of Vasona Heights and Buena Vista Heights are superimposed onto the
aerial photograph, showing the house and grounds that Mrs. Colmar purchased in 1925. Wendell
C. Thomas purchased back most of the grounds from Mrs. Colmar on March 13, 1928, in two
parcels, marked “1” and “2” on Figure 5 (SCC OR Book 393, Page 122).
Figure 5. January 1, 1931, aerial photograph, Flight C_1436, Frame 1, with adjacent subdivision maps
superimposed (Source: https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/)
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In the 1930 census, Pauline Colmar, age 47, her husband, real-estate broker Clarence F. Colmar,
age 47, and their two sons, John Eugene “Jack” Colmar, age 13, and Francis, age 10, were living
on the property with their maid. Jack made a name for himself as a young golfer at La Rinconada
Golf Club before the family moved away in 1933. Jack returned many times to Los Gatos to visit
friends and play golf, his visits often reported in the Los Gatos Times.7 The Colmar sale of the
property in 1933 has not yet been located.
After a three-year stint as managing director of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, Wendell C.
Thomas went into the real estate business with his son Mark, who had recently graduated from
Stanford as a civil engineer. Thomas continued to sell lots in Vasona Heights and Buena Vista
Heights until at least 1938, according to county deed records. Wendell C. Thomas died on
November 2, 1940.8 It is not known when Thomas sold the land he purchased from Mrs. Colmar
in 1928, but it was not part of his estate when it was distributed to his widow (SCC OR Book
1077, Page 283).
The chain of title for the property picks up again on May 22, 1941, when San Jose real estate
broker Thomas L. Mitchell sold it to Florence E. Cline (SCC OR Book 1046, Page 4). The
property changed hands again on September 7, 1944 (SCC OR Book 1217, Page 329). The Los
Gatos Times reported on September 29, 1944:
[U.S. Air Force] Col. Arthur L. Smith, retired, with Mrs. Smith and their three lovely
daughters, have chosen Los Gatos as the best place for a permanent home and purchased
the Florence E. Cline property on the Los Gatos-Campbell highway at Vasona Heights for
approximately $15,000. This property, consisting of three and a half acres and an 8-room
house, also guest cottages, was purchased by Mrs. Cline with the idea of establishing a
deluxe rest home a few years ago, but circumstances changed her plans. She remained
here, however.9
Los Gatos realtor Effie Walton handled the transaction, which began a long association between
the Smiths and Mrs. Walton. Both Col. and Mrs. Smith went to work in Effie Walton’s real estate
office at 350 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, the “Hansel and Gretel” cottage that was one of the buildings
in Mrs. Walton’s 1940 Little Village shopping center. Evangeline Smith succeeded Effie Walton
in 1949 as president of the Los Gatos Business & Professional Woman’s Club. When Mrs.
Walton retired in 1958, the Smiths took over Little Village Real Estate.
Arthur LaSalle Smith, Evangeline H. Smith, and their daughters Nancy, Jacklyn, and Sonia were
living at the subject property in the 1950 census. In Los Gatos city directories, the house was
addressed as 15220 Santa Clara-Los Gatos Road (1952–1962) and 15220 Winchester Boulevard
(1964–1967).
In May 1963, Arthur L. and Evangeline H. Smith had their property surveyed and subdivided
into six lots. A cul-de-sac, Verdes Robles, provided access to each lot (Figure 6). They recorded
Tract No 3498 on September 5, 1963 (SCC Recorded Maps Book 166, Page 11).
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Figure 6. Tract No. 3498, recorded September 5, 1963,
with subject property highlighted in blue (Source: SCC
Recorded Maps, Book 166, Page 11).
Figure 7. Plat of subject property and outbuildings,
circa 1967 (Source: Santa Clara County Residential
Unit Property Record).
In April 1964, the Smiths applied to Santa Clara County for a permit to build a one-room cottage
(Permit No. 01731). In November 1966, the Smiths applied for a permit to build a carport
(Permit No. 06242). After the carport was completed, the County Assessor visited the property
and took the photograph shown in Figure 8. The newly subdivided parcel was reassessed for the
new lot size and these two new structures. The building permit activity, plat, and photo appears
on the full Residential Unit Property Record, reproduced in Appendix A, pages 1 and 2).
Compare Figure 8 to Photo 1, Appendix C,
Site Visit Photographs, taken on March 14,
2025.
On May 1, 1965, Arthur L. Smith’s Little
Village insurance and real estate firm began
advertising in the San Jose Mercury. “Lovely
Building Sites,” Smith offered. “Attractive,
almost level bldg. site in the Los Gatos ‘V erdes
Robles’ area of nice homes. All utilities,
$11,500.”
Beginning in the 1968 Los Gatos city
directory, the house address is listed as 17269
Verdes Robles.
Figure 8. Photograph of front elevation, circa 1967
(Source: Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property
Record).
The Winchester Blvd No. 5 annexation into the Town of Los Gatos on April 1, 1968, consisted of
just the six lots of Tract No. 3498. Figure 9 is an aerial photograph taken on May 2, 1968,
showing new residential construction on the five new lots.
On May 15, 1974, Arthur L. and Evangeline H. Smith sold Lot 6 of Tract No. 3498 to Norman D.
and Janet L. Stout (SCC OR Doc. No. 4765309).
On March 28, 1979, the Town of Los Gatos Planning Commission approved Norman Stout’s
application for a two-lot subdivision of Lot 6. Planning correspondence and documents
concerning this lot split can be found on pages 1–40 of Appendix B. Of particular note is that the
house was not considered historically or architecturally significant during environmental analysis
by Ron Enz of The Environmental Center as part of the application process for the lot split
(Appendix B, page 23).
The garage and woodshed on the edge of Lot 6 were demolished to accommodate the lot split.
The dates that the other buildings were demolished are unknown. They cannot be seen in Figure
9. Figure 10 shows a portion of the lot-split map recorded in Book 451, Page 29, on October 15,
1979. The subject property is Parcel A.
Figure 9. May 2, 1968, aerial photograph, Flight CAS-
2310, Frame 1-240, Tract No. 3498 (Source:
https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/).
Figure 10. Division of Lot 6, Tract No. 3498, recorded
October 15, 1979 (Source: SCC Recorded Maps, Book
451, Page 29).
On May 19, 1981, Norman D. and Janet L. Stout sold the subject property to Dr. James D.
Mellema (SCC OR Doc. No. 7062544).
The October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the house’s roof and the carport. Dr.
Mellema received a building permit to reroof the house on November 10, 1989 (Permit No.
B17330, see Appendix C, Page 1). The Town of Los Gatos inspected the carport (Appendix C,
pages 4 and 5) and approved a permit to replace the carport with a two-car garage on September
4, 1991 (Appendix C, page 6). The delay in approving the permit arose from minimum setback
requirements. A January 11, 1991, letter from the Planning Director and Dr. Mellema’s response
are found in Appendix B, pages 44–47.
The Draughting Room, a residential design firm in Los Gatos, drafted the plans for the new
garage. The garage eave on the front elevation was extended to create a new front porch roof.
This porch roof spanned the entire front of the house and extended around the side elevation to
shade the sitting room windows. The original front door opened into the sitting room, as seen in
Figure 8. The new plans removed a first-floor window and installed a double-door entry in its
place, creating a new entry hall that leads into the living room. These plans were not included
with the documents sent by the building department, due to copyright restrictions; however, the
current owners have the blueprints and allowed me to examine them. The second-floor
hexagonal window appears on the blueprints. Figure 8 shows that this window was added after
1967; however, the blueprints are not clear on whether this hexagonal window was part of the
new design, or if it was changed earlier. Almost none of the house’s windows are original. Many
have been replaced with window shapes and materials that are not compatible with a house built
around 1910.
The house originally had a detached garage, which would have been characteristic for a house
built around 1910. That garage was demolished to accommodate a lot split. The resulting small
lot necessitated a garage attached to the front elevation. By extending the garage eave around the
entire front elevation of the house and around to the side elevation, the 1991 design created an
entirely new look for the house that is incompatible with its period of construction.
The current owners purchased the property from James D. Mellema on August 30, 2012 (SCC
OR Doc. No. 21829208) and placed it into their family trust on February 24, 2021 (SCC OR Doc.
No. 24845593). The owners have recently reroofed the house (Permit B25-0102, February 4,
2025).
While the house was built prior to 1941, it is not included in any of the Town’s lists of historic
structures. It should not be added to any list for the following reasons:
1. The house is not associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
Town.
2. The house was associated with John W. and Lillian Gould (1907–1913), Wendell C. and
Edythe A. Thomas (1919–1925), Clarence F. and Pauline Colmar (1925–1933), Florence
E. Cline (1941–1944), and Arthur L. and Evangeline H. Smith (1944–1974). None of these
individuals were significant in the history of Los Gatos, the state, or the nation.
3. There are no distinctive characteristics of type, period, or method of construction. The
architect and builder are unknown. The house was likely built between 1907 and 1913,
Figure 8 shows that originally it was a simple front-gable two-story residence without
distinctive architectural details.
4. Nothing about the buildings, structures, or objects on the site contain information
important in prehistory or history.
5. The integrity of the house to its period of construction has been significantly
compromised: most of its windows have been replaced, a porch and new front door have
been added, and an attached garage constructed.
Appendix A
County of Santa Clara Building and Planning Documents
17269 Verdes Robles, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property Record (Source: County Assessor), page 1
Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property Record (Source: County Assessor), page 2
Santa Clara County Building Permits, prior to annexation on April 1, 1968
April 1964, Permit to build a one-room cottage (Permit No. 01731). Not available at SCC
planning counter. Requires property owner to request permit archive search.
November 1966, Permit to build a carport (Permit No. 06242):
Site Visit Photographs, March 14, 2025 Page 1
Appendix D
Site Visit Photographs
17269 Verdes Robles, Los Gatos, CA 95030
March 14, 2025
Photo 1. Front Elevation.
Site Visit Photographs, March 14, 2025 Page 2
Photo 2. Side elevation facing Winchester Boulevard. Photo 3. Side elevation facing Winchester Boulevard.
Photo 4. Rear elevation from backyard. Photo 5. Rear elevation, basement entry under deck.
Photo 6. Rear elevation from deck. Photo 7. Rear elevation from deck.
Site Visit Photographs, March 14, 2025 Page 3
Photo 8. Side elevation, garage side. Photo 9. Side elevation, garage side.
Photo 10. Garage, side elevation. Photo 11. Garage, front elevation.