By Scott Fletcher and Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society
Scott Fletcher has lived and worked in Marin since 1985 and has a keen interest in the history of our county. He has been a volunteer with the Marin History Museum since 2011 and has authored over 140 “History Watch” articles in the Marin Independent Journal. His new book, “Moment in Marin History,” is a collection of those articles with additional information and historic photos. Here’s his take on one of Sausalito’s most distinctive mansions:
The Holly Oaks villa, built in 1887 by California pioneer fruit packer and shipping agent, George W. Meade (known as the Raisin King), was the crown jewel of Sausalito homes and hotels for many decades. It was celebrated for its ornate Victorian architecture, exquisite interior furnishings and unparalleled views of the San Francisco Bay and nearby Angel Island and Yerba Buena (then called Goat Island). In its early days, Sausalito had a slightly scandalous reputation as a rugged, untamed fishing village inhabited by mostly English and Portuguese fisherman and wealthy yachting enthusiasts looking to escape the foggy, urban environs of San Francisco. The Meade family brought a certain air of respectability to the growing town and local newspapers like the Sausalito News and San Francisco Call frequently reported on the many visitors and occasional luminaries who came to stay at Holly Oaks.
The Meade family’s ownership of Holly Oaks did not last long, though, as they put the house up for rent in 1890 just before embarking on a long European Tour. Meade eventually moved to Redlands, California where he became an influential land developer, expanded his business interests and became a city leader. Within a few years Holly Oaks was sold and converted into a luxury hotel and guest house and renamed the “Hollyoaks”. For a brief time, a Mrs. M. A. Farrar ran the hotel, but it was Mrs. Sawyer, a Civil War widow who had relocated to California, that managed the guest house for many years. A 1909 Sacramento Bee advertisement boasted of the Hollyoaks that it featured an “Enchanting view of Bay and Mountain from every window. Unsurpassed table, first class in every respect. Bathing, good fishing, boating. Half-hour’s ferry ride from San Francisco. Headquarters of S.F. Yacht Club and anchorage of U.S. Revenue Cutters”.
Its reputation for fine food, luxury accommodations, and stunning views made it the only Sausalito hotel to be mentioned in the 1909 Baedeker’s Guide to the United States. Hollyoaks also catered to the residents of Sausalito hosting many weddings, galas, garden parties, and holiday gatherings, accounts of which appeared in the local newspapers. The hotel changed hands several times during the second decade of the twentieth century and at the height of the Great Depression the hotel was shuttered, and the furnishings and property put up for sale. In a last, rather ignominious Sausalito News item in 1939, an advertisement read, “FREE FIREWOOD: Wrecking Hotel Hollyoaks. 20 truck loads. Help yourself.”
Scott’s book is available at Sausalito Books by the Bay, Book Passage in Corte Madera and online sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
PHOTO FROM SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Hollyoaks on Harrison Avenue exemplified fine craftsmanship.