Cohen Bray House- Victorian Preservation Center of Oakland

Under foot is the theme.
These floors have been restored. It completely changed back the good feeling of home.
1&2. The original 1884 pattern on the linoleum in the butlers pantry- the pattern had been walked off of what was left. In 2021, I removed a million small tacks 1” apart just around the edges .(no adhesive) I found the original pattern hidden in the back of the pantry and reproduced it as a wall to wall vinyl rug. By .com.
3 &4 Emelita’s bathroom floor was covered with scorched 1969 vinyl. It was replaced with Linoleum by Marmoleum.
5&6 Laundry room asbestos tiles replaced with slate. Thanks to our members donations, we were able to move forward with these projects.

or later we will have funds to fix these family clocks. Time will tell!
Photo 1. The grandfather clock in the redwood entry since 1884.
2.&3. The Tiffany clock in the library. SOUND UP for the chime and 5 strikes. Made of Onyx.
4.& 5. The story of the ship clock
,”… from the family of Alfred Cohen, eminent attorney and one of the leading citizens of Alameda and the East Bay for decades beginning in the 1850’s, attracted Bruseth (artist) primarily because of its design, and it was only after his decision to paint it that he discovered something of its remarkable history. Except for its works, it was made, so he recalls from his conversation with Miss Emelita Cohen, by a ship’s carpenter on a clipper in the China trade, probably in the 1820’s or 1830’s. The carpenter - an expert in certain aspects of metal work, as he had to be on a wooden ship - was commissioned to do the job by captain Cu***ng and completed it by the time the vessel had returned to its home port. The entire piece is made of brass. The use of the blocks and tackle, anchor and other gear, forms a design which, with its translation into metal, makes the piece an art work even more deserving of preservation than many pieces of scrimshaw that command a high price on the curio market. It has a sheen, a translucent quality through which gleams of the brass are
caught, giving almost the effect of gold and fully as beautiful.” 1/7/62

Sooner or later we will have funds to fix these family clocks.
1. The grandfather clock in the entry since 1884.
2&3 The Tiffany clock in the library. SOUND UP for the chime and 5 strikes. Made of Onyx.
4&5 The story of the ship clock
,”… from the family of Alfred Cohen, eminent attorney and one of the leading citizens of Alameda and the East Bay for decades beginning in the 1850’s, attracted Bruseth (artist) primarily because of its design, and it was only after his decision to paint it that he discovered something of its remarkable history. Except for its works, it was made, so he recalls from his conversation with Miss Emelita Cohen, by a ship’s carpenter on a clipper in the China trade, probably in the 1820’s or 1830’s. The carpenter - an expert in certain aspects of metal work, as he had to be on a wooden ship - was commissioned to do the job by captain Cu***ng and completed it by the time the vessel had returned to its home port. The entire piece is made of brass. The use of the blocks and tackle, anchor and other gear, forms a design which, with its translation into metal, makes the piece an art work even more deserving of preservation than many pieces of scrimshaw that command a high price on the curio market. It has a sheen, a translucent quality through which gleams of the brass are
caught, giving almost the effect of gold and fully as beautiful.” 1/7/62

The arts is theme. The art in the Cohen Bray house is cherished, so were the dogs.
1. Art in storage was saved from the devastating fire that totaled my great, great grandfather -A.A. Cohen’s Fernside estate in Alameda, California.
2. We have a couple of pieces at our house. We are not sure if this is the 50 cent dog or the $5.00 dog as listed in the inventory of the fire, but it has been in the breakfast room since 1925.
3. This watercolor was done by my great Aunt Emelita of her favorite dog.
4.This basket of puppies is from her linoleum block card business from the 1940’s. We still sell her cards to support the restoration of the house. You can see more on our website see our bio.

“Spring” is the theme. Some of these flowers, bushes and trees have been blooming every spring since 1865 when this property was the rose garden and asparagus patch for my Great great grandparents. Watson and Julia Bray. They gave this property, (and built this house) to their eldest daughter Emma Bray when she married Alfred Cohen. Alfred loved roses and we have kept as many as we can alive over the years. Emelita-their youngest daughter planted the star jasmine and agapanthus and more. My mom planted bulbs that keep returning. Always a treat to see what springs up each year.

Bathrooms and plumbing are the theme. My great aunt Emelita (1898-1988) used this all her life. The plumbing here is where the problem with our original brick foundation started! (Foundation now fixed) The sewage pipe had not been connected to the street lateral line for more years than any one knew, and caused the bricks to move and collapse.
The piping problem was fixed 30 years ago at ground level but we don’t trust the original pipes upstairs anymore so choose not to use this bathroom. The toilet was connected to the house water and had an additional way to flush with rainwater from the cistern in the attic. Its my favorite bathroom because of the new linoleum flooring I put in, the pull chain and all the hardware.

History and tradition is the theme this week. Built in 1884 as a wedding present for Emma Bray and Alfred H. Cohen, this Eastlake Stick style house has been owned and lived in continually by descendants of the first occupants until 2021. It contains the original furnishings, decor and wallpapers forming one of the best Aesthetic Interiors in the western United States. It also contains an abundance of papers, photographs, clothing and momentos.
The family wanted to make sure the house was saved for the future and it has been the headquarters for the Victorian Preservation Center of Oakland since 1994. The mission of the VPCO is to interpret the history of the East Bay from the later half of the 19th century through the present, through the study of the material culture and social and economic life of the region, as represented by the Cohen Bray house, it’s garden and collections. Restoration workshops will be held in the buildings in the back.
To visit the house , you can come to our events. Events include a Holiday Tea, Mothers’ day tea , paranormal explorations, and workshops involving the collections. Private tours, dinners and teas by arrangement, check out our website in the bio.
Photos
1. Cohen Bray House
2. Great great grandparents Bray’s originally bought the oak tree Farm Estate property-200 acres in Fruitvale. They gave the property and built the house across the street in their asparagus patch, near the roses for their eldest daughter Emma and her new husband Alfred Cohen . Luckily Alfred’s parents furnished the house and filled it with treasures.
3. &4. My great grandparents
5. My grandfather at age four years. The word “sissy” was written on the back of this photo by his younger sister Emelita who lived here for 90 years.
6. The Oakland Landmark plaque.

Wide angle photos are the theme. Original interiors (wedding presents from 142 years ago still in the same places)
1. Here is the library from the hall, with the parlor pocket doors on the right and the craftsman rooms at the end.
2. Craftsman rooms built after the 1906 earthquake are where we gather the most. So cozy don’t you think?

Woodwork is the theme this week. Our 1883 stick style Victorian has an entryway, four pocket doors and two pairs of swinging doors that were milled from the butt end of a virgin redwood tree. Chosen and gifted by my great grandmother’s first cousin - Merriwether, a neighbor, and owner of a wood-mill up in Northern California . This butt part of the tree was so old, the grain was compressed by the weight of the tree. It is called curly redwood. The architectural style in the house is Eastlake. This is shown in the stylized flowers and leaves done in spooncuts and panel angle details and brackets created by the very clever craftsman.
Last year was spent on our hands and knees and up on scaffolding to clean off the coal soot and to***co on their surfaces. The waxed and polished outcome was better than I expected. Don’t you think? Preservation is important!

Imperfections is the theme. Gratefully, there are fewer than before. Some will always be here. Since 1884.
Our paint needs a bit of a touch up….
Talented frantic dogs engrave this door….
Window sills are overrated…
Nobody will notice, something to look forward to, later….
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