Monthly tours offer glimpse at history of Gilroy
Once a month Connie Rogers takes a walk into the past. The
long-time Gilroy resident and former city council member has
developed nine walking tours that she guides each year for
newcomers interested in the history of the city or old-timers who
just want to know a little more about their home town.
”
[The visitors] are usually split into two categories
– people who just moved to town or bought a historic home in
town who use [the walk] as a way to get acquainted with the
community,
”
Rogers said.
”
The other half who come are old-timers and that is fascinating
because they can share a lot of information about their houses and
their neighborhoods.
”
Monthly tours offer glimpse at history of Gilroy
Once a month Connie Rogers takes a walk into the past. The long-time Gilroy resident and former city council member has developed nine walking tours that she guides each year for newcomers interested in the history of the city or old-timers who just want to know a little more about their home town.
“[The visitors] are usually split into two categories – people who just moved to town or bought a historic home in town who use [the walk] as a way to get acquainted with the community,” Rogers said. “The other half who come are old-timers and that is fascinating because they can share a lot of information about their houses and their neighborhoods.”
The tours are free of charge and open to anyone interested in talking a walk around town while learning a little history of Gilroy.
“I chose the walks based on historical areas that were identified in the 1980s when the city did its historical inventory,” Rogers said.
She has been offering the walks on a regular basis for five years.
“It sort of ties my interests together,” she said. “I inherited being gregarious from my dad and work at the Gilroy Visitor’s Bureau part time. We talked about what makes Gilroy attractive to visitors and one thing is the historical downtown.”
Before Rogers took over as tour guide for the walks, the Visitor’s Bureau offered them intermittently.
“They would have them two or three times a year,” she said. “We decided to keep it more regular and assigned it to the first Saturday of the month, the one weekend day when the Museum is open each month.”
The next tour is Feb. 4 and participants will visit local buildings designed by well-known early 20th century architect William Weeks.
“He was responsible for about 1,500 buildings in the Monterey Bay Area and the central coast,” Rogers said. “A lot of his buildings were built between 1900 and 1925.”
Weeks designed several regional high schools, including Santa Cruz and Watsonville High Schools as well as the original Hollister and Gilroy High School campuses, which no longer exist. Only 15 buildings created by Weeks have survived out of 23 originally in Gilroy.
“He used a lot of different styles,” Rogers said. “He was very flexible and tuned in to what the customers wanted and what the trends or styles of the time were.”
The architect’s designs can be seen around town, though one prominent example is the Dr. Clarence R. Weaver house on Fifth Street. Weeks designed the house in 1900 for Weaver, an early dentist in Gilroy, to be used as his residence and office space. The style of the house is Queen Anne Victorian and the bright yellow building includes a turret, decorative wooden shingles and a steep sloping roof. The house is owned by N. P. and Linda Mussalem and has been converted into office spaces.
The Gilroy Musuem building is another of Weeks’ creations, built in the Beaux Arts Classical style of many western libraries funded by the Carnegie Foundation. Built in 1910, the library served the city until 1975 when the city joined the Santa Clara County Library system. Since then, the space on the corner of Fifth and Church Streets has served as the museum.
The William Weeks tour, like the other tours, covers just the outside of the buildings, though on occasion guests may be invited in to the homes.
“We do run into a lot of people who own the houses who like to talk about them,” Rogers said. “Sometimes owners come out and invite us in to take a look.”
Rogers commended the homeowners who put in the work to keep the historical homes in good shape.
“They all have people living in them and if they don’t, they tend to deteriorate,” she said. “Many take a lot of pride in their historical home and it takes a lot of work to keep up the maintenance of one.”
While each of the nine walking tours has its own draw for Rogers, she said one of the most popular tours is that of the Old St. Mary’s Cemetery, which will be on Nov. 4.
“But they all have their special attractions,” she said. “The whole goal is to raise the profile of our historical heritage.”
Upcoming Walking Tours:
The Gilroy Museum sponsors monthly walking tours of historical buildings in town on the first Saturday of most months. The tours meet at the Gilroy Museum, 195 Fifth St., at 10 a.m. and last until noon. The Gilroy Museum is open the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for history buffs who want to continue learning about Gilroy’s past after the tours conclude. For more information or reservations, call 408-848-0470.
William Weeks’ Buildings – Feb. 4
Bungalows – March 4
Old Gilroy I: Alexander and Railroad Streets – April 1
Old Gilroy II: Chestnut and Forest Streets – May 6
Gavilan Hills Cemetery – June 3 (meet at 1000 First St.)
Fifth Street – Aug. 5
Monterey Street – Oct. 7
Old St. Mary Cemetery – Nov. 4 (meet at 7950 Church St.)
