Mid North / Homeplace
Some Representative Streets
Barroilhet (upper), El Arroyo, El Centro, Eucalyptus (upper), Farm Lane, Homeplace Court, La Cumbre, San Raymundo, Stonepine
Neighborhood Overview:
Mid North/Homeplace delivers impressive luxury homes spanning multiple eras. The lifestyle is “north-centric,” in that it is assigned primarily to North Elementary and less than 1.5 mile to downtown Burlingame. Mid North/Homeplace extends westerly, a little further up the hill from the Lower North neighborhood. This central, heart of Hillsborough location once comprised Jennie Crocker Henderson’s 130-acre estate known as Homeplace. The word “Mid” indicates the central location midway between the flats of Lower Hillsborough and the upper Hillsborough areas near Highway 280. As Barroilhet Avenue continues west across Eucalyptus, you will notice newer executive homes built largely in the 1970s-2000s on streets such as Stonepine, Homeplace Court, Farm Lane, and Barroilhet itself. This Homeplace pocket of Mid North offers great advantage for those seeking newer luxury homes of this epoch, as generally in this vicinity of Hillsborough there is a prominence of pre-War construction. The aerial photo above showcases the Farm Lane area, with a long stretch of Barroilhet about left center in the image. The large structure in the photo with pool and tennis court is the original "barn" to Jennie Crocker Henderson's Homeplace Estate that still sits on over 5 acres. Prior to Crocker-Henderson ownership, this historic parcel was previously owned by Lloyd Tevis tracing back to the 1890s.
Mid North/Homeplace also encompasses a sub-district established mostly in the 1920s-1930s sometimes referred to as Hillsborough Knolls with streets such as San Raymundo, La Cumbre, El Centro, and El Arroyo. Elevated more in the hills than the flats of Lower Hillsborough, this area begins to reveal views of the Bay and Valley. With its 1.5 mile proximity to downtown Burlingame Avenue and minimal through traffic, Mid North is a desirable alternative to Lower North. Don’t miss the spectacular Revival architecture along the 400 block of El Arroyo Road, like a taste of Old Hollywood!
Mid North/Homeplace encompasses the sub-districts of Homeplace and Hillsborough Knolls. Mid North/Homeplace is assigned primarily to North School.
For Hillsborough School District School Boundaries, North, South, West, By-Street click here.
Explore All Hillsborough Neighborhoods at Geoffrey Nelson’s Hillsborough Google Map.
Appeal for Residents and Homeseekers:
- Majority of homes are larger architectural designs: newer constructions from the 1970s-2000s are found in the Homeplace area off of Barroilhet; 1920s-1930s beauties adorn the Hillsborough Knolls sub-district off of San Raymundo, El Arroyo, El Centro, etc.
- North-centric lifestyle slightly in the hills yet convenient to North School, Crocker Middle, and downtown Burlingame.
Historic Notes:
Homeplace was originally the estate of Jennie Crocker Henderson (granddaughter of Big Four magnate Charles Crocker). Designed in 1926 by Gordon Kaufmann (an architect of Hoover Dam) on approx. 130 acres at the end of Barroilhet, this Mediterranean-flavored estate remained the home of Jennie Crocker until her death in 1974. By 1976, the estate was demolished and the grounds subdivided. The original mansion was sited at today's Homeplace Court cul-de-sac. The original "barn" to the estate can be seen in the photo above and is located at 5 Farm Lane. This is a 5.28 acre parcel originally owned by Lloyd Tevis dating to the 1890s. The photo also shows some of the vacant lots in the Farm Lane area still owned by Jennie Crocker (Whitman) relatives.
Although not known for his Hillsborough presence, famous home developer Joseph Eichler maintained his last home at 1145 Barroilhet. A dramatic atrium model, the home was later expanded by architect Randy Grange of TRG Architects. I was fortunate to represent the buyers of this very special design in 2013.