This imposing shingle style Queen Anne with Romanesque ashlar base was built by prolific Alameda contractor Joseph Leonard for his own family. He chose well-known Los Angeles architect C H Russell to design it despite his own quite formidable design experience and the results are truly astounding. The exterior has seen a bit of alteration, but the interior detailing is largely intact and is sumptuous evidence of Leonard’s substantial success.
For the first half of the home’s life it enjoyed expansive panoramic views across the bay. The views are unfortunately gone, but the home remains an impressive tribute to the scale and grandeur of the residences built on Alameda at the end of the 19th century.