Blake Family

Historical Note

Considered one of the most important gifts to the University of California, the Blake Estate includes a Spanish style house designed by architect Walter Bliss located on 10 acres of rolling terrain with outcroppings of Lawsonite rock, two creeks, and views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate. Mrs. Anita Blake and her sister Mabel Symmes are credited with the design and major planting of the grounds, which feature a formal grotto and reflecting pool. The home and garden are representative of the eclectic period in California design.

Seeking to relocate from their residence in Berkeley, Anson and Anita Blake purchased land in 1922 in what is now Kensington. Anson's brother Edwin T. Blake purchased the adjacent land and Mabel Symmes designed a single master plan for both estates. From the 1920s through the 1940s, the land surrounding Anson Blake's house developed into an extensive collection of plants from around the world, and university students visited it regularly. The estate was donated to the University of California in 1957 for instruction and research in landscape architecture. After the death of Mrs. Blake in 1962, the estate became the property of the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Landscape architects and faculty members Geraldine Knight Scott and Mai Abergast oversaw the transition of the estate from private ownership to the university. Several proposals for future development of the estate were made, including Scott's Long Range Development Plan in 1964, although none were implemented. The Department uses the Blake Estate for field trips, construction exercises, social events, and as the subject of student design projects. It also serves as a popular source of part-time work among landscape architecture students. From the 1970s to the present, the house has served as the residence of the President of the University of California.

Sources: Laurie, Michael. 75 Years of Landscape Architecture at Berkeley: An Informal History. Part I: The First 50 Years . Department of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, 1988. Laurie, Michael. Part II: Recent Years . Department of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, 1992.

From the guide to the Blake Estate collection, ca. 1922-1998, (Environmental Design Archives. College of Environmental Design.)