Feb 26, 2004

Street Scene: Bertram Road

On an idyllic hillside road, residents of New Almaden's Bertram Road live in a unique paradise. A one-lane wooden bridge provides access over gurgling Los Alamitos Creek at the north entrance and St. Anthony's Church is the marker on the south end. The three-quarters-of-a-mile-long road twists and turns up and down grades, some places narrow enough for only one car. Streams of water run down the street from a recent rain.

The homes are an eclectic mix of wood cabins, remodeled structures and new construction harmoniously melding together to create a rustic charm within the bucolic atmosphere of mountain and woods. Half of the street's backyard lots end at the creek, the other side of the street is nestled in the hillside. It is here that the residents enjoy rural living while only 10 minutes away from the stress of city life.

“I've lived here all my life and plan to stay here,” said Chad Deherrara sporting a helmet and sitting atop a bicycle. “I grew up here. I'm one of the old timers.”

The street is part of the New Almaden Walking Tour and is steeped in history. At the southern end is St. Anthony's Church, built at the turn of the century for the Quicksilver miners. Mass is still held here every Sunday.

A monument across the street marks New Almaden Vichy Water, a company began in 1867 extolling the virtues of the water for a variety of disorders from a fever to an upset stomach.

The upscale La Foret Restaurant is located in a building that originally housed single mine workers. Today, a white limo delivers a happy couple to celebrate a wedding amidst throngs of well wishers. Later the bistro will serve intricate gourmet dinners.

The New Almaden Community Club is a newer structure, built in 1952, and hosts social events and meetings for the neighborhood.

In the middle of Bertram Road is the Hacienda Cemetery. Crypts of the miners from Englishtown and Spanishtown of the 1850s are buried there. In 1928, the street was paved and a number of graves covered.

“There are some stories about spirits still being there from the neighbors who live near the cemetery,” Deherrara said. “[There is talk of] sightings of ghosts and doors opening by themselves, but who knows? It seems pretty quiet.”

“I moved here 12 years ago,” Craig Rudy said standing in front of the picket fence that surrounds his home. “You feel far away from the city even though it's only minutes away.”

The street hosts an unusual mix of homes. Modern houses built in the side of a mountain on concrete piers with retaining walls surrounded with trees and brush are across the street from one level gingerbread houses with picket fences enclosing assortments of garden embellishments. An old log house stands next to new construction ready to be rented. The theme that binds the homes is the lush beauty of the road. The majestic oaks and laurels, the mountain landscape and the running water of the creek have been there forever. The residents are just borrowing it for awhile.

The unique homes create a wide variance in real estate prices. In 2003, there was only one sale reported to the San Jose Board of Realtors. The house was 1,335 square feet on a 6,000-square-foot lot and 73 years old. It sold for $385,000. In 2002, there was a sale of a 1,856-square-foot home on one acre that sold for $519,000.

“I've been here six years and love it,” Rick Beebe said as he walked his dog home from the New Almaden Quicksilver Park, which is just minutes away. “You're away from everything. The neighbors are friendly but everyone is respectful. There's some concern about the new construction going on in Upper Bertram Road and a rough element further south in the mountains but we really like it here. Don't tell too many people about it.”

“I want to stay here forever,” Elaine Ogletree said. “There's the community center just down the road. People and kids go on the walking tours. There's always something going on.”

The New Almaden Mining Museum walking tour passes by. Children and adults listen intently as the docent tells the stories about the old miners and their families who once lived there. Beebe and Ogletree stroll by, smiling and silent, enjoying the beauty of the street they live on.

—By Jeanne C. Lewis