A friend who grew up in the neighborhood in the 500 block of South 14th reminisced that he was in awe of a house around the corner from his boyhood home. He said “I always thought the richest man in San Jose lived in that house”. He was talking about 555 South 13th (pictured above), a wonderful two-story Tudor-style home that is as lovely inside as it is outside. But it is only half of the Postlethwaite story.
Harry Postlethwaite (1862-1949) had a privileged childhood – (think Downton Abbey or Upstairs-Downstairs). The British census of 1871 shows a household known as Hazel Mount in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England as Harry’s birthplace. There were six children, ranging in ages seventeen to five; three girls and three boys. Harry was in the middle of the pack. He was the fourth child and the second son.The household had a staff which included a governess, cook, nurse, housemaid and dressmaker.
It is not clear why Harry decided to come to America but in 1888 he married Ethel (1865-1936) and they had a child, Marjorie. They headed West. Immigration records show them in America in 1889 when Harry was age 26. The little family showed up in San Jose by 1904 and Harry built his first Naglee Park house at 175 South 14th, an impressive Tudor-style home on a double lot. The architect was William Binder, usually associated with building commercial structures.
Harry was a fruit rancher and his specialty was citrus. Harry was an orange grower. By 1904 Harry was 42 years old and his only child was age 14. They had only one live-in housemaid in the 14th Street home, a German woman named Rose. The family was active in Trinity Episcopal Church and held fund-raising receptions in their garden, according to the newspaper society columns.
Some years later they decided to move, living in a rental house in the neighborhood while their new home was built. It looked a lot like their old house. Again William Binder was the architect; this time the name Binder & Curtis is on the building permit. Records show the permit was issued in 1930 and the cost was $15,000, a handsome sum in the first year of the Depression. The census does not show any servants in residence but the house has a lovely suite for live-in help and the three-car garage has a second floor suitable for an apartment.
Harry lived in this very handsome structure only a few years. His wife Ethel died in 1936 and the 1940 census shows that he moved into a little cottage in Santa Clara which he rented for $35/month. Marjorie Jones lives with him but I did not find any marriage or divorce records associated with her name. Marjorie died in November of 1948 and her father died six months later at the age of 87.
Both houses are lovely and are on the Historic Inventory, nominated for their architectural design. Knowing they are related in such a strong manner only makes them more interesting.
The Postlethwaite Family Houses – 175 South 14th Street and 555 South 13th Street.
Leave a Reply