March 2024 - History Corner

March 1899

Berkeley World-Gazette, March 30: “The Hillside Club – Hillside Architecture an Art of Itself”

There is in existence in Berkeley an interesting club, formed mainly of residents in the Scenic Park, and which is known as the Hillside Club. As its name implies, it has for its ideal the protection of the hills from things which would mar their beauty, and as a necessary adjunct, the study of hillside architecture.

It is claimed that hillside architecture is an art in itself; that however pretty or “freshly painted” the town house may be, it becomes an enormity when transplanted to the hillside. For the contour and coloring of the hills must be preserved, or beauty and grace are lost. The soft browns and greens of nature’s paint brush make the home a part of its surroundings; while glaring white or cold gray are out of place and conspicuous. A feature of the club is a scrap book consisting of architects’ plans, and photographs and sketches gathered by members of the club. This is open to the public, and prospective builders are invited to look it over for suggestions.

At the meetings during the past year discussions have been held by an appointed member, and the following subjects have been considered:

1.     Building with reference to location

2.     Drainage and grading

3.     The beauty of natural woods vs. painted woods

4.     Materials for building

5.     Porches and outdoor living

6.     How to remodel an old house

The possible use of the stone found on these hills, and the safety of building on filled-in ground, have been thoroughly studied by the club.

Meetings are held every other Tuesday at the homes of the members. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 4, at 4pm, at the new home of Miss Atterbury, near Ridge Road and Le Roy Avenue. All interested are cordially invited to attend. The subject for discussion will be the styles of homes that best lend themselves to the hillside, and will be illustrated by some new architectural sketches.

March 1924

[The Hillside Clubhouse was destroyed in the Berkeley Fire of 17 September 1923]

Business Meeting, March 3: Mr. McFarlan reported the award of the building contract [for the new Clubhouse] for $18,738, including the chimney. Mr. Graham reported on his canvas for the building and Furnishing Fund subscriptions: 182 members have promised $5,120, 30 members yet to contact. A discussion of insurance resulted in a decision to take out the Progressive Insurance policy for $18,000 and pay for falling building clause.

The program for the evening was prepared by the Education Committee under Mr. Hennessey, entitled “The Stranger Within Our Gates.” Mr. Hennessey had with him four foreign-born men and women with whom he was acquainted through his night-school work. These four most entertainingly showed the kind of work given to the alien with in our city. By song and recitation, Mr. Henry Osen and Miss Raschke from Germany, Miss Annette Robiana from Italy delighted the Club members. Mr. Kalske, born in Finland, on close examination by Mr. Hennessey, through many questions and answers enlightened those in the audience on the rigorous test put to foreigners who ask citizenship in the United States.

Social Meeting, March 17: Two plays, “The Workhouse Ward” and “The Real Thing” were staged by Mrs. Nachtrieb and her committee. In the first play, one of Lady Gregory’s, the parts were taken by Mrs. Carlton Rose, Mr. Todd and Mr. Irving Whitney, who carried well the characters for which they were cast. “The Real Thing” was participated in by a greater number of characters and each deserved ample share of the compliments given to their work. Afterwards, well-known Irish songs were delightfully done by Mrs. Ivie, accompanied by Mrs. Green.

March 1949

Fireside Meeting, March 7: “Fun with Science,” a vocal and dramatic presentation, will be given by an experienced team of personnel from the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company. This demonstration shows the scientific and semi-scientific developments of telephony and other subjects.

Hillside Club Operetta, March 14 & 15: Two performances will be given of “The Twins of Wen Chu,” an original operetta by Louis M. Piccirillo, Monday evening for members and guests, and Tuesday evening for the general public, with an admission charge of seventy-five cents. Some twenty-five music numbers will be sung by a large chorus and excellent cast of principals. A small string ensemble will play during the performance.

Civic Affairs, March 28: The Civic Affairs Committee will present Mr. T. J. Kent Jr., head of the Department of Civic Planning at the University of California. He will speak to us on “What Can Real City Planning Do?” Mr. Kent was formerly the Director of City Planning for San Francisco and is now a member of the City Planning Commission of Berkeley. [T. J. “Jack” Kent (1917-1998) was a major figure in the history of American civic planning and the author of the 1964 textbook “The Urban General Plan.” In 1958 he co-founded the Greenbelt Alliance, a non-profit citizen’s regional planning and conservation organization.]

March 1974

Fireside Meeting, March 4: Dr. Harland E. Hogue, professor of Worship and American Church History at the Pacific School of Religion, will speak this evening on “Changing Views of the Church.” Dr. Hogue is an authority in this field, a world traveler, and active member of several religious organizations, and a skillful speaker. [Harland Hogue (1908-1999) received a BD from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from Columbia, and a DD from Monmouth College. He was Professor of Homiletics at PSR from 1954 to 1975, and also served as chair of the doctoral faculty at the Graduate Theological Union.]

International Relations Section, March 11: Australia’s efforts to break down barriers among cultural groups in the South Pacific and Southeast Asian regions and America’s increasing involvement in these efforts will be analyzed this evening by Irene and Russell Prescott. They are qualified to speak on this subject, having recently spent two months in Australia as guests of the International House at the University of Sydney. Serving as resident consultant on programs, Irene became involved in Australia’s program to improved cultural relations with southeastern peoples, and she will share her experiences with us this evening.

Spring Extravaganza, March 18 and 19: Mysterious Morocco will be the setting for this year’s Extravaganza, a brand-new operetta, written and directed by Hillside Club’s talented operatic composer Luigi Piccirillo, and played by a cast of Hillside singers and actors supplemented by guest vocalists and instrumentalists. Entitled “A Tangle in Tangiers,” Luigi’s operetta is designed to transport the audience from the humdrum familiar world to the glamorous world of fancy.

March 1999

The Club’s archive of printed monthly newsletters ended with the May 1994 issue. If you know of a source for any newsletters between 1994 and the Club’s renaissance in the early 2000s, your historian would love to hear about it!