The Chadbourne Carriage House
Thomas Jefferson Chadbourne and his wife Nettie built this Victorian carriage house in the 1870’s. He owned fine racing horses and stock horses and wanted them housed in suitable surroundings.
They purchased the property in 1872 from Charles C. Breyfogle, one of the first assessors in Alameda County and his wife Hannah, who signed the petition to establish the First Presbyterian Church here. The residence built by Breyfogle in 1851, was a humble adobe dwelling compared to the carriage house built by the Chadbournes.
Howard Flint Chadbourne and his wife Martha (Dunn) were both born in San Francisco in 1874. They lived there until the 1906 earthquake at which time they came here to live on the ranch. Howard, an attorney, commuted to San Francisco for the next 30 years. They were active members of St. James Episcopal Church and leaders in the community.
After the Chadbourne’s deaths in 1947, Wendell Burdette Williams purchased the 143 acre property for $1,000 per acre. Born in 1900, he was well known as a producer and shipper of green tomatoes, celery and cauliflower. In 1963 he sold the property to Hap Smith, developer of the Hub Shopping Center. Burdette Williams died at age 99 on October 1, 1999.
Burdette Williams donated this one-acre plot to the City of Fremont and the carriage house was moved 150 feet into the newly created Williams Historic Park. The Chadbourne Carriage House, the only surviving structure of the Chadbourne ranch complex, was restored and is preserved through the efforts of many concerned citizens. The 2,456 square foot structure is a reminder of our equestrian past.
Marker can be reached from Fremont Boulevard.
Courtesy hmdb.org
