The Weilheimer House ( Continued from Page 4 )
up in nice style .” The new home mentioned in the article is the same house that stands today at 938 Villa Street , built c . 1900 . The house is recognized as an “ excellent example of a Queen Anne [ Victorian ] style cottage ” in an architectural evaluation completed for the city by Carey & Co . Inc . Architecture in 2003 . The house is one of the few buildings left in Downtown Mountain View that predates the 1906 earthquake and one of the few historic residences associated with the city ’ s original merchant community still standing . Over the years , many of the homes of the Weilheimers ’ fellow merchants have been demolished to make way for downtown ’ s parking lots and other developments . The most recent house lost to redevelopment is the Pearson House , formerly located next door at 902 Villa Street , built c . 1888 and demolished in 2013 .
During his time living at 938 Villa Street , Julius helped lead the newly incorporated City of Mountain View . He was elected to the City Council in 1904 ( then called the “ Board of Trustees ”). He served as the city ’ s third mayor ( then called “ president ”) from 1906 to 1909 . In 1905 , his childhood friend Jacob Mockbee opened the Farmers & Merchants Bank at 201 Castro Street ( now home to Red Rock Coffee ). Julius served as the bank ’ s first vice-president . In 1927 , the bank became a branch of the Bank of Italy , now known as the Bank of America .
Sometime after 1909 , Julius , Fannie , and their two daughters moved to San Francisco so that Julius could take over operation of his brother-in-law ’ s businesses . Julius passed away from “ an acute attack of indigestion ” on December 31 , 1922 . When reporting his death the Mountain View Register wrote that “ No man ever lived in this town who had more real sincere friends than Julius Weilheimer , He was honorable , clean and upright and had the heart of a child .”
An article from the October 1997 edition of the Western States Jewish History Journal nicely summarizes the role of the Weilheimers in the region :
“ They were an integral part of their community and heavily involved in the business , political and social aspects of the community . They were among the few Jewish families in Mountain View and they affiliated themselves with the large , vibrant Jewish community in San Francisco . Their descendants still live in the area and are still active in the Jewish community . The Weilheimer name will not be found on any street signs or city parks , yet they were the first of many Jews who would later build a large , dynamic community on the Peninsula .”
Today , the Weilheimer House stands as one of the most visible reminders of the Weilheimer family and the important role they played in the earliest decades of Mountain View ’ s history . The pairing of a historic merchant family ’ s home so close to the historic commercial building where they ran their business ( 124 – 126 Castro Street ) is unique in Mountain View .
But the Weilheimers were not the only prominent Mountain View family to call 938 Villa Street home . Soon after the Weilheimers left Mountain View , the house was purchased by Arthur Free , who lived there with his family until 1914 . During his time in Mountain View , Free built the foundation for a long political career . He served as Mountain View ’ s first city attorney from 1904 to 1910 and as district attorney for Santa Clara County from 1907 to 1919 . He was also appointed Arthur M . Free the town ’ s postmaster by the federal government . Free was elected as a Republican to the 67th Congress of the United States and to the five succeeding Congresses ( 1921-1933 ), representing California ’ s District 8 , which at that time covered Monterey , San Benito , San Luis Obispo , San Mateo , Santa Barbara , Santa Clara , Santa Cruz , and Ventura counties .
Throughout the 20th century the house passed through a number of owners and occupants . For a brief period of time it was operated as a bed and breakfast named , appropriately , “ The Weilheimer House .” In the early 1980s , the property was purchased by George Aviet and Thomas J . McCombie , who opened their fine-dining French-inspired restaurant , Chez TJ , inside the historic house on November 26 , 1982 . Over the past 35 years , Chez TJ has earned a reputation as one of the Bay Area ’ s best restaurants .
The next chapter in the Weilheimer House ’ s history is clouded with great uncertainty . The current proposal put forth by the Minkoff Group — in partnership with Chez TJ and the Tied House — is to demolish all the structures on the site and replace them with a four-story office building . Although there is some talk of relocating the house , removing it from its context in Downtown Mountain View would greatly reduce its significance and value as a historic landmark .
For most of its history , Mountain View was a solidly workingclass town full of enterprising merchants and hard-working immigrants from across the globe . Our historic landmarks are not grand mansions , domed civic buildings , or grand commercial edifices . They are the simple and stately old homes and commercial buildings that have survived decades of redevelopment and serve as proud reminders of our city ’ s humble roots . The Weilheimer House at 938 Villa Street stands out among our city ’ s collection of historic buildings , not just for its charming historic architecture but for the important role the people living inside it played in the town ’ s early history . The fate of this house now lies with our City Council and the community it represents . The question before us is simple : Is Mountain View ’ s history worth preserving ?
In 1896 , the Weilheimer general store was doubled in size , as shown above . It still stands today 124 Castro Street . 5 5