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Overview

The real estate dealer and developer Duncan McDuffie, partner in the Berkeley firm of Mason-McDuffie Company, erected this Spanish Colonial Revival style house at 22 Roble Road in about 1925, replacing an earlier residence on the same property built in 1911.

Building History

Duncan McDuffie (born 09/24/1877 in Jefferson, IA-d. 04/21/1951 in Berkeley, CA) played an important role in the development of various Bay Area neighborhoods, such as San Francisco's Saint Francis Wood and Berkeley's Northbrae and Claremont sections. He was also an avid outdoorsman, alpinist and environmentalist, twice serving as President of the Sierra Club between 1928 and 1931 and again in 1943 until 1946, and a President of the Save-the-Redwoods League beginning in 1944. McDuffie also greatly assisted in the formation of the State of California's public park system.

After McDuffie's death, attorney George J. Moncharsh (born 03/19/1907-d. 07/25/1975 in Berkeley, CA) and his wife Helen Wilhelmina Duckett Moncharsh (born 01/09/1917 in Lyford, TX- d. 06/22/2006 in CA) moved in and lived here until her death.

Building Notes

According to the US Census of 1930, the McDuffie House had a value of $50,000 in 1930, about ten times the average cost of Bay Area home at the time.

In 02/2010, the residence was offered at $2,850,000; before the collapse of the real estate bubble in 2008. The residence sold for $3,160,000. In 2010, the house still occupied an acre of land.

PCAD id: 24239