Edward A. Brakenridge House
CITY OF BERKELEY LANDMARK
designated in 1992
Edward A. Brakenridge House
Ira A. Boynton, Designer & Builder (attributed), 1892
Arriving in Berkeley from Massachusetts, Edward Brakenridge bought property
that extended to Rose Street for this large Queen Anne-style residence, a stable, and
a carriage house. Ira Boynton, like many late nineteenth-century East Bay builders
who lacked formal architectural training, created vigorous, sturdy structures without
refined ornamentation that followed a "carpenter esthetic." Parts of the estate were
subsequently sold, but Brakenridge family members resided in the house until 1924.
In 1936, the residence was converted and used as a health-related institution
for elderly individuals. In 1971, Bonita House purchased the property
and established the first rehabilitation facility of its kind in
Alameda County for mental health care services.
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
2008