Cameron-Stanford House, Oakland
historic place
The Cameron-Stanford House is a historic place in Oakland, California. Located in Alameda County, this Italianate residence was built in 1876. It stands as the last of the 19th-century Victorian mansions that once surrounded Lake Merritt. The house was first occupied by William Walker Camron and his wife, Alice Marsh Camron. Later, the Josiah Stanford family owned the home from 1882 to 1903. Josiah Stanford was the brother of Leland Stanford. In 1907, the City of Oakland purchased the house, and it became the city's first museum, operating until 1965. The Cameron-Stanford House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated an Oakland Historical Landmark in 1975. It was saved from demolition in the early 1970s by a preservation association and reopened to the public in 1978. This site matters historically as a surviving example of Oakland's 19th-century residential architecture and its early civic efforts in public museums.