Eichler Tract:
University Gardens

About University Gardens, Palo Alto

University Gardens is where Joseph Eichler began in Palo Alto. Built in 1949 and 1950 near Kendall Avenue in the Barron Park area, it was the first Eichler subdivision in the city and his third tract overall.

University Gardens at a glance

• Built: 1949–1950 (marketed September 1949)

• Homes: about 50 to 63 (Palo Alto counts 63 lots)

• Design: Joseph Eichler with a draftsman known only as Castor, before his partnership with Anshen & Allen

• Heating: central forced air, not the radiant floors of later tracts

• School district: Palo Alto Unified

Why it matters

These homes predate the post-and-beam, glass-walled designs Eichler became known for. For collectors of Eichler history, University Gardens shows the starting point.

Remodeling rules

Palo Alto adopted voluntary Eichler Design Guidelines in 2018 covering rooflines, siding and glass; a single-story overlay applies only where neighbors have petitioned for one. See our Eichler design guidelines by city.

Read more

• University Gardens: A Historic Eichler Neighborhood

• University Gardens: Palo Alto’s Hidden Mid-Century Gem

• El Centro Gardens, Eichler’s next Palo Alto tract

• All Palo Alto Eichler neighborhoods

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