Map of Mary R. Smith’s Cottages.

Description

This is a 1907 R. F. Morton map of the tract of the Mary R. Smith Cottages in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood of East Oakland, on the east shore of Lake Merritt. 

The map displays the buildings that are extant on the campus of the Home for Friendless Girls orphanage, founded by Mary R. Smith and her husband, businessman Francis Smith. From the ‘Initial Cottage’ on Clinton Ave., additional cottages (named for girls at the Home that Smith was particularly fond of) and buildings added over the years are included, as well as an Art Gallery under construction at the time of the map’s production. However, the map also includes ghosted-in streets and lots, reflecting perhaps intended future development. However, as the Home remained intact for years afterwards, it is more likely a representation of an earlier plan that was superseded by the Home’s founding in 1901. 

Eventually, however, the orphanage did cease operations in the early 1930s, Francis Smith’s death in 1931 and the Great Depression both being major setbacks. The land was eventually developed into residences and Oakland High School, which first relocated to this area in 1928 and expanded several times thereafter. Although some of the Home’s buildings no longer survive, many of the cottages were eventually converted into private residences, and most have been designated as local landmarks. Many of the street names and even their layout have changed. However, some of the roads are still recognizable, including Park Boulevard (formerly Fourth Avenue), Spruce Street, Cappel Street (formerly Capel), and Prospect Avenue. Lincoln Ave. became McKinley Ave. and Excelsior St. became MacArthur Ave., paralleled now by Interstate-580 (the MacArthur Freeway).

Context is Everything

Mary R. Smith (1846 – 1905) was the wife of Francis (Frank) Marion “Borax” Smith (1846 – 1931), a businessman who made a fortune in borax mining and then invested heavily in developing real estate in Oakland and throughout the East Bay. He was a leading figure in the Realty Syndicate, referred to at the top here, and also helped develop the Key System, which was closely integrated with expanding housing developments in the early 20th century. 

In 1901, Mary, a serial philanthropist, was inspired to start an orphanage (Home for Friendless Girls) that became known as the Mary R. Smith Cottages, set aside on a property near the couple’s estate, marked at bottom here as ‘Residence of Frank M. Smith, Esq.’ After Mary’s untimely death in 1905, the orphanage became a central part of her legacy and a key philanthropic institution in the East Bay for years afterwards.