Tech and innovation may represent San Jose’s present and its future, but long before the microchip reshaped the city’s identity, it amassed a treasure chest of cultural and historical gems — from more lighthearted inventions like fruit cocktail and Eggo Waffles to iconic moments in the civil rights movement — that preservationists continue to fight to keep hold of.
Dana Peak, a historic preservation officer at the city, said many people do not think San Jose has any history or that there is something to preserve. But while it may not be an East Coast city founded by the pilgrims, she said San Jose has its own unique history worth telling.
May marks Historic Preservation Month and the theme is the power of place, signifying how history can move people, expand how they see the world and build a sense of belonging, Peak said.
“I think it’s really important that we are stewards for the next generation and making sure the physical embodiment of all the stories is uplifted and preserved,” Peak said. “A lot of preservation is not going towards the federal government but towards more inclusivity and who gets to tell the story, whose story it is, and uplifting more than one story where there are a lot of layers and different points of view.”
From literature and music to interesting architectural components, planning officials said San Jose has a broad and diverse history beyond its designation as the capital of Silicon Valley, including being a city of many firsts that have nothing to do with technology.
For example, before Del Monte marketed fruit cocktail in 1938, Herbert Gray created the product at the Barron-Gray Packing Co. on South Fifth and Martha Streets in 1930. Frank Dorsa also created the Eggo Waffle in San Jose, and its factory at 475 Eggo Way was once proposed to be added to the historic resources inventory.
San Jose is home to the Century 21 Theater at 3161 Olsen Drive, the iconic domed structure built in 1963 that was a first-of-its-kind. As a local landmark listed on the California Register of Historical Places, Peak said it was the last domed cinema in the Bay Area.
The city also has a rich arts and culture history.
Low Rider Magazine’s headquarters sat at 282 Willow St. after Sonny Madrid, Larry Gonzalez and David Nunez founded the publication in 1977 centered around Chicano culture, including cars, music, fashion and political issues.
Other notable locations around the city include 285 S. 12th St., the craftsman-style house that Tom Johnston, the founder and lead vocalist of the rock group The Doobie Brothers, rented while attending San Jose State University and studying graphic design. The Cassady House on Santa Clara Street was known as a hangout for the Beat Generation, including Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.
A home lived in by Tommie Smith, a member of San Jose State’s vaunted “Speed City” track and field program and Olympian who gained notoriety for his “Black Power” salute at the 1968 Olympic Games, also has city landmark status. Although Smith and his teammate John Carlos initially received criticism for the gesture, they later became civil rights icons for their stand.
Peak said that the City Council, Historic Commission or property owner can initiate landmark designation, which requires a historical resources consultant to document and evaluate the property based on eight specific criteria.
“Historic buildings provide a way for us to learn about our cities’ history and history that is different from San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley,” Peak said. “We have our own history and it’s the way to connect with our community and give ourselves roots.”
The city has recently completed historic surveys and interactive story maps for the areas of Alviso, Martha Gardens and Five Wounds.
In the past year, the City Council has approved several notable historic designations, including Grace Baptist Church, which is renowned for its decades-long history of inclusivity and willingness to help all races, genders, and denominations. The church also contains the only surviving pipe organ from the Liberty Theater.
“What is new becomes old,” church moderator Jeanne Wardrip said last year. “It doesn’t mean we throw it out.”
After a more than 20-year wait, the Schiele Avenue/Alameda Park District became the sixth neighborhood to receive landmark status after Hensley, Lakehouse, Reed, River Street, and St. James Square. The district — with Queen Anne, Tudor, Craftsman, and Spanish Revival homes from the late 1800s — was the first historic district designation granted since 2007.
However, in the process, it raised a debate that preservationists have come to often hear about: whether holding onto history comes at the expense of future development.
“We see historic preservation as not an either-or choice,” Preservation Action Council San Jose Executive Director Ben Leech said. “It’s often framed as ‘Why we need to save for the past or build for the future.’ That’s a false choice because there is room to do both.”
While he acknowledged that San Jose needs housing, Leech was largely pleased with the city’s and developers’ efforts to recognize that historic buildings can contribute to future needs.
He pointed to the Gateway Tower project, a mixed-use affordable housing development approved this year at 470 S. Market St. that pays homage to Charles “Doc” Herrold, a pioneer of broadcast radio. Herrold’s KQW station later became known as KCBS.
“Cities are inherently more interesting and vibrant when there are layers of history,” Leech said.
Leech hopes San Jose officials will continue making it easier for historic buildings to be preserved and see the benefits of reusing buildings.
While Leech has pushed the city to offer adaptive reuse incentives, he said he has seen developers realize the benefits of existing historic buildings and that preservationists are not just asking them to save the structure for history’s sake.
“I think we are seeing that get through with Jay Paul looking at the Cityview project,” Leech said. “There’s a clear recognition that buildings have a functional life and use, even if they are not architecturally stellar.