University Terrace: A Tapestry of History, Community, and Change

University Terrace is more than just a place; it's a living testament to the ebb and flow of history, a place where the echoes of the past resonate with the vibrant energy of the present. From its origins as ancestral Ohlone land to its evolution into a thriving residential neighborhood, University Terrace embodies a rich and complex story.

The Ancestral Land

University Terrace sits on the territory of xučyun (Huichin (Hoo-Choon), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo (Cho-chen-yo) speaking Ohlone people, many of whom once lived on the banks of Strawberry Creek.

From Colonization to Farming

The land was colonized by the Spanish Franciscans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In the mid-19th century, Irish farmers arrived as part of and after the Gold Rush. In 1866, James and Catherine McGee purchased 117 acres from the Peralta family, whose boundaries were defined by what later became Addison Street to the north, Dwight Way to the south, Martin Luther King, Jr. Way to the east, and California Street to the west. In 1840, ahead of the Great Potato Famine, the McGees left for America. After 14 years in Boston, they traveled to Berkeley via the Isthmus of Panama and started farming right away.

The McGee Legacy

One of the original Pioneers, James McGee was known for his philanthropy, starting with his gift of 2.7 acres of his 117-acre Tract (between Addison and Allston, MLK, and California) to Mother Mary Teresa Comerford of the Presentation Sisters. Catherine and James’ two daughters, Mary Ann and Catherine, never married and lived in Berkeley their whole lives in homes that were within six blocks of each other. All four are buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in San Pablo.

The Presentation Sisters and St. Joseph's Academy

Initially cloistered, the Sisters developed with James McGee’s help a meditation garden complete with a grotto modeled after one in Lourdes, France. Their schools were award-winning; in addition to academics (many of the graduates of the high school - all female - went on to enroll in the University of California), the Sisters were known for their skill in teaching musical instruments and producing elaborate programs involving hundreds of performing students.

Transformation and Change

Times change: James McGee and, after his death, his daughters Catherine and Mary Ann, sold off the remaining lots in the Tract where homes were built to accommodate the burgeoning East Bay and Berkeley population. St. Joseph’s Parish, at one time comprising all of Berkeley, slowly shrank as more parishes in Berkeley were carved out of its original territory. When BART took out 16 blocks of the few remaining blocks in the Parish, the life of the Parish - including local Parish children attending the schools - was greatly affected. The sense of community, which had gradually frayed as people aged and their children moved into the eastern suburbs, eventually tore.

Remnants of the Past

Still there are remnants of those who came before us. Our original pink buildings became these different shades of pink intentionally. The monkey puzzle tree, large oak (fell and removed in a storm in 2021), and palm tree on the central Green were all part of the early design of the grounds. Circular pathways guided the meditating, prayful Sisters in their walks in the Garden. The stone pillars by the rose garden on California Street originally graced the California Street entrance to the Convent, a bit closer to Addison Street. The oak staircase at the northern end of Building 9 is the original staircase from St. Joseph’s Academy built in 1892. The trains’ whistles still echo off the hills and over University Terrace.

Echoes of Children Long Gone

Children are born, grow up, age, die, and are buried. Sometimes the laughing, squealing sounds of today’s children playing on the Green echo with those of children long gone. Was that a dog or cat chasing a squirrel? There’s the music heard through a half-open window, a mother calling a child, the train whistle in the distance - all evocative of a time past.

University Terrace Apartments

University Terrace apartments included kitchen cupboards, sink, stove, and refrigerator, are conveniently arranged to save steps and time on the part of veterans' wives. The confusion of moving hasn't dampened the spirits of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Kennedy, who find their new apartment in University Terrace, east of University Hospital, "everything we could wish." Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy are one of 14 veterans and their wives who moved into the apartments yesterday upon completion of the first of 12 units which comprise the Terrace. Three other units are expected to be ready this month, four in October, and four in November. The apartments, 292 in all, are reserved for married students and faculty members who are veterans.

The Mount St. Mary's University "Terrace"

Once the original university building, the Terrace is three residence halls in one. Almost every student at the Mount lives in the Terrace at one point or another - it can house over 400 students. Upper-class students reside here, with the exception of first-year honor students.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Doric Hall (Brute Hall)

The cornerstone for Doric Hall, now called Brute Hall, was laid in 1843. It was built for $9,500 dollars. Originally, this part of the Terrace was used as a study hall. However, around 1897 the open porches that connected DuBois and Brute were closed in with stone and the study hall became the library. What is currently known as A and B deck served as the library until 1960 when Phillips library was built. The first college degrees were granted in 1832. For years, there was no place for a commencement service to be held. When Brute Hall was built it served as the college commencement hall and was first used to graduate 5 students in 1844. In 1908 the College Council officially named the building Brute Hall. Fr. Brute had joined Fr. DuBois at the Mount in 1812 and served at the Grotto helping to create the paths that are still used.

Fr. DuBois Hall

Fr. DuBois hall was technically the first dormitory on campus; It was constructed in 1808 as an all-purpose building, which housed the President and faculty along with the students. Fr. John DuBois began construction on the first residence hall and classroom in 1824. The original hall was built where Purcell Hall is currently located. Shortly after being built, due to deficiencies in construction, the building burned down. After this, construction began on a much safer and more adequate building that currently stands today. It was dedicated on December 16, 1825. Throughout the rest of the century the building housed the seminary until 1907 when McSweeny Hall was built. The cupola at the top of DuBois held the original college bell. The clock, a gift from Fr. McSweeny, was not installed until 1888. The building was officially recognized as DuBois Hall in 1908, when the College Council approved the names for all current residence halls found in the Terrace. It is named after founder, Fr.

McCaffrey Hall

McCaffrey Hall was built on the site of the original all-purpose building. The original building was a log structure that was demolished in 1844. Although construction of McCaffrey Hall began in 1852, the building was not dedicated and used until January 11, 1858. McCaffrey was originally two stories high and housed the college refectory until 1962. In 1962 the Cogan Student Union Building was built; now known as Patriot Hall, the McGowan Center, and Cogan Hall. The building was originally only two stories due to a shortage in funds related to the Civil War and so that more attention could be dedicated towards the Gothic style church that was intended to extend from the Immaculate Conception Chapel down to the current location of Patriot Hall. Money ran short on such a large project and construction was never completed. The leftover stone was used to build Flynn Hall. In 1897 the third and fourth floors of McCaffrey Hall were completed and the rooms were considered to be the first deluxe housing found on campus. The building was named after the 7th President (1838-1872), Fr. McCaffrey.

Other Residence Halls

Students residing in Bradley Hall live on the fourth floor of this administration building. Faculty and staff share this unique space during the day, which gives students a direct link to the professors and administrators that they work with while they attend the Mount. This hall is home to mainly freshman females students living in two-person rooms or singles. Home to about 32 students, the Annex suites offer another housing option for upperclassmen. Powell Hall is a 170-student, air-conditioned, suite-style residence hall with one elevator and a laundry room on each floor. The most recent addition to the Mount's on-campus residence options, this group of four cottages each has 10 single rooms with two shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living area. A newly double cottage was added in the fall of 2021, which has double and single rooms with two shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living area. The University Apartments are home to many junior and senior upperclass students.

Other Features of Mount St. Mary's University

The Mount is located in Emmitsburg, a town with a population of around 3,000, located in Frederick County Maryland just south of the Mason-Dixon line. Founded in 1785 by William Emmit, the town is home to Mount St. Mary's University and the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. In every residence hall room you will find an XL twin bed, desk with a chair, dresser, and a wardrobe or closet. In some rooms bed may be bunked to ensure space and comfort for the residents. Our traditional halls have community-style bathrooms that are regularly maintained by university staff. Dedicated on October 15, 1955, by Archbishop Keough, Pangborn Hall was built as campus enrollment rose after WWII Navy V-5 and V-12 programs left. The building is named after Thomas W. and John C. Pangborn of the Pangborn Construction Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. The building was the first residence hall to incorporate a chapel located at the north end of the building. Sheridan Hall opened in 1962 and was built after the Navy barracks were removed from campus. The current location of Sheridan housed the married Navy personnel and their families while they were stationed at the Mount. After the Navy left there was no need for the structure and a true residence hall was constructed. The building is named after Msgr. Sheridan who was a member of the class of 1871, seminary class of 1921 and the president of the school from 1937-1961. Msgr. Sheridan was instrumental in guiding the Mount through the Great Depression and WWII. He also played a key role in instituting the Navy V-5 and V-12 program, which kept the Mount afloat as enrollment dropped due to WWII. During Msgr. Sheridan’s time as president, he oversaw the building of Memorial Gym, first annex to the Seminary, Pangborn Hall, the Phillips Library, and Sheridan Hall. Msgr. Sheridan is also the first inductee into the Mount St. Mary's Hall of Fame.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Integrated Learning Living Communities

In each of our Integrated Learning Living Communities, your floor mates are also your classmates. You will share the same faculty adviser and take at least one course each semester with other members of your community. The Honors ILLC provides gifted first-year students the opportunity to live in a residence hall as a close-knit peer group pursuing shared goals and interests. The cohort of ILLC students will not only take their Honors classes together but will also engage with faculty in co-curricular activities and lectures that complement their course work. Housing for graduate students is limited and is offered on a first come, first served basis. Graduate students reside in our university-owned houses on and near the campus.

University Terrace Homeless Housing Project

The City Council's 4-3 vote on January 13 to reject $20.1 million in state Homekey+ funding for the University Terrace homeless housing project continues to reverberate through City Hall. Councilmembers Falcone and Robillard also submitted statements by the Friday deadline. A February 2 letter from the ACLU of Southern California warns the vote may violate the city's legally binding Housing Element commitments and fair housing laws based on stereotypes against unhoused residents.

Councilmember Falcone's Statement (Ward 1)

Councilmember Philip Falcone stated that he was unaware of this project until it was on the City Council agenda in mid-May 2025. Any prior process or conversation was neither discussed nor agreed upon by the Council. Businesses were not notified until the eleventh hour, the Chambers of Commerce East Hills Business Council were opposed, and most importantly, resident groups on the Eastside (the area I represent) were lukewarm to it at best. At the January meeting, in real time, the City Council was told that this project would not be exclusively for seniors and veterans due to lack of individuals who meet those criteria. Falcone also stated that he does not support a "Housing First Absolute" approach. He recognizes that not everyone experiencing homelessness needs services, but without expecting tenants to engage in support, we risk leaving those with addiction and mental health challenges to navigate on their own. He supports an amended Housing First approach that provides housing and ensures participation in services by those who need it.

Councilmember Robillard's Statement (Ward 3)

Councilmember Steven Robillard stated that his vote on January 13 regarding the University Terrace project was not a change in position. It was consistent with the position he has held since this proposal was first brought before him. He allowed the project to move forward at that initial stage and made clear comments about the rushed nature of the presentation and the need for deeper scrutiny. As the project returned for subsequent consideration, those concerns were not resolved, and his position remained unchanged. Reasonable people may hold different views about this approach, but public trust depends on a clear and honest understanding of how the program functions. When expectations are set without that clarity, even well intentioned proposals can lose public confidence. Throughout this process, residents were repeatedly told that concerns could be addressed later or mitigated through conditions. In reality, many of the most significant concerns raised by the community were embedded in the program requirements themselves and could not be meaningfully altered without undermining compliance.

Councilmember Conder's Statement (Ward 4)

Councilmember Chuck Conder cast the deciding vote to stop the Quality Inn Motel on University Avenue from being turned into a taxpayer subsidized homeless apartment complex. The reason for his NO vote is simple: this project would have done NOTHING to reduce homelessness or crime. Any claims to the contrary are pure fantasy, if not outright lies. Advocates and activists have been spreading false information to the public about who the tenants would be. They claim that would be elderly and veterans. That is untrue. This project would be Section 8 Public Housing, meaning that anyone who met the federal criteria for such assistance could not be turned away. They would not have been able to reserve places specifically for veteran or senior individuals. Approving this project would have essentially turned the Quality Inn Motel into a heartless "Warehouse of the Homeless" that did not require residents to obey our laws, or have treatment for any substance abuse or mental problems as a condition of being able to live in this facility.

Councilmember Mill's Statement (Ward 5)

Councilmember Sean Mill stated that his vote was not a rejection of housing, nor a denial of the seriousness of homelessness in Riverside. It was a rejection of a single-track model that, as presented, asked the City to commit to permanent supportive housing with no enforceable expectations around treatment, recovery, or stabilization for individuals suffering from severe addiction and mental illness.

College Terrace in Palo Alto

Whether it’s Victorians, early Craftsman, English cottages, Spanish Colonial Revival bungalows, a log cabin or ornate Queen Annes, few Palo Alto neighborhoods boast such a mix of eclectic architectural styles spanning the past 100 years than College Terrace. Those strolling through the neighborhood are likely to notice that the streets here also have something else in common: They all bear the names of well-known East Coast colleges and universities. Despite its proximity to Stanford, the 12-blocklong, two-block-wide neighborhood has remained a peninsula of non-Stanford land ever since it was first subdivided. The only reason College Terrace allegedly exists as a residential neighborhood at all is because Gordon refused to sell to Stanford when the school was constructed. Rather than become part of Stanford’s new town, the neighborhood in 1891 joined the adjacent town of Mayfield known for rebuking the university’s prohibition on alcohol.

The Fight for the Name "Palo Alto"

Leland Stanford attempted to buy the area now known as College Terrace, but developer Alexander Gordon refused to sell the property. The two men ultimately ended up in court after Stanford sued Gordon in an attempt to prevent him from naming the subdivision Palo Alto. Gordon wasn’t the first to refuse to sell the property to Stanford. In 1870, French farmers Frederick Weisshaar and Peter Spacher each purchased 60-acres of the former Robles Ranch land that would become College Terrace. At the same time, Gordon had started making plans for his own town adjacent to the new university. Gordon’s “Palo Alto” map was recorded in 1888, and Stanford’s “University Park” was recorded the following year. He sued Gordon to get back the name but was unsuccessful and ended up paying $1,000 in a settlement that allowed him to retrieve the name “Palo Alto” and use it for selling his University Park lots. Developer Alexander Gordon originally called his 160-acre subdivision “Palo Alto,” shown here in this 1888 map. He changed the name to College Terrace after an irate Leland Stanford paid a $1,000 settlement for the right to use the name Palo Alto in selling his University Park lots.

Architecture and Early Residences

Located at 2275 Amherst St., near the Stanford hills is this Queen Anne-style Victorian known as “the crown jewel of Palo Alto.” The home sits in the neighborhood’s highest elevation and once boasted views of Palo Alto to the north, the hills across the bay and Santa Clara Valley to the south. The commercial district of Gordon’s subdivision was just a small strip along El Camino Real, including the block-long Staunton Court, named for a Virginia military academy. All that remains of the original business strip is a small 1910-era wooden storefront at 560 College Ave. Built at a cost of $3,500 in 1888, this home at 2310 Yale St. is believed to be the oldest surviving house in the College Terrace neighborhood. The home was originally owned by Robert Norton Kee, a businessman who moved commercial and residential goods throughout the area by horse-drawn wagons. Mayfield lumber merchant Alexander Peers, for whom Peers Park is named, owned this house at 2290 Yale St. Built in 1889, the house’s front door faces a dirt alley that was once Cambridge Street. Joseph Birkett, an English stone mason employed in the construction of Stanford University, owned this two-story Queen Anne/Colonial Revival at 2130 Yale St. Built in 1889, the home features fish-scale shingles and decorative columns.

Experiencing the Pre-Stanford Era

To experience what the area was like in the 19th-century prior to the Stanford era, walk along Yale Street, where some of the earliest homes in the neighborhood were built. There are several one-story houses from the late 1880s that are still standing. Opposite the small roundabout at the Cambridge Avenue intersection is a colorfully painted two-story Victorian (2310 Yale St.) built in 1888. The home is the oldest in College Terrace. Across the alley at 2290 Yale St. is the 1889-era home owned by Alexander Peers, a Mayfield lumber merchant for whom Peers Park is named. Up the street at 2130 Yale, is another decorative two-story Queen Anne/Colonial Revival with fish-scale shingles and decorative columns also built in 1889. On the other side of the neighborhood at 2275 Amherst St. is a Queen Anne-style Victorian. Mark Zuckerberg previously lived on the west side of the street at 2308 Amherst.

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