Glass House and Family Video Script

Many pioneer families traveled across endless plains and mountains in hopes of reaching California’s fertile land and shiny gold. This is the story of one of these families, the Glass Family and the beautiful home they built right here in San Ramon, California. 

Born in 1818, David Glass was raised in Harrison County, Ohio. He was a very pioneering and creative young man. When he was just 18 years old, he put together and ran the first crude threshing machine to separate seeds from plants. But is was in 1841 that he struck out on his own and went on a surveying expedition in what is now Ottumwa, Iowa. There he set up a small grocery business and met his soon to be bride, Eliza Jane Hall. Eliza’s mother, Rebecca Hall, did not approve of the marriage, so David and Eliza eloped and were married at a neighbor’s home on June 19, 1844.

On December 13, 1845 David and Eliza became parents with the birth of their first child, Mary Pricilla Glass. Soon after her birth while traveling to visit relatives in Ohio, Mary died at just 6 months old.  Although heartbroken with the death of their child, David and Eliza continued on their journey to Ohio. Once they arrived they decided to move to Cass County Michigan along with their relatives. David and Eliza were very unhappy in Michigan and soon returned to Iowa to farm once again and remained there until March, 1850.  

As the tales of the adventurous wild west and gold in California traveled east, David and Eliza were excited to join the multitudes of pioneers heading to this new land of opportunity.  By this time their son, and second child Francis Marion was born.  In order to sustain their dangerous journey, they purchased three wagons, five horses, three yoke of oxen, and two cows so the baby would have milk.  This left them with about $500 to fund their journey and new life in California.

After their long journey west, Eliza was horribly upset when arriving in Hangtown, what is now Placerville, on August 5, 1850. She was fearful that nothing would grow in the red soil of Hangtown.  But is was the death of their son, Francis on October 15, 1850 that truly crushed Eliza’s spirits. David and Eliza were heartbroken yet again and moved on to Walnut Creek where they bought and sold several ranches. 

It was here that Eliza gave birth to another son, Albert William in 1852.  David also became busy by starting the first small store in Alamo in 1852 and planting the first apple orchard in the San Ramon valley in 1855.

Over the following years, the family welcomed many more children; Clara Isadora in 1854, Anita Idel in 1856, and Loretta Irene in 1858. Then in April 1959, David Glass purchased a 700 acre ranch in San Ramon from James Dougherty that was once part of the Jose Maria Amador Land Grant.  It was here that David and Eliza’s last three children were born; Franklin Lafayette in 1861, Frederick Elmer in 1864 and Clement Rolla in 1867.

After several years living in a smaller home on the ranch, the Glass family built an Italianate Victorian house for $2,700 in 1877.  The house was located on the main road between Walnut Creek and Dublin. It was considered quite striking for a home in rural San Ramon and marked the accomplishment of David’s hard work ranching and farming. It was here that David and Eliza lived until their deaths in 1897 and 1899.  

Over the years the Glass family children became quite productive as well and pursued many career paths.  Albert became a rancher and farmer as well as a San Ramon School District Trustee.  Clara attended art school.  Franklin became very busy as a county clerk, postmaster of Martinez and a justice of the peace.  He also started a mining company with his brother Rolla.  Frederick was a veterinarian for large ranches and then becoming an appraiser and Vice President of the Farmers & Merchants Bank in Reno.  Clement Rolla went to Alaska to partake in the Klondike Gold Rush.  After which he started a mining company in Bolivia.   Two sisters, Anita, an artist and Loretta never married and they operated the ranch and lived in the Glass House until their deaths in 1922 and 1931.

Today the Glass House is a piece of San Ramon’s history and is still more beautiful than ever. The house was originally located just north of Pine Valley Road on San Ramon Valley Blvd and stood there from when it was built in 1877 to 1998. In order for the house to be properly restored so it could become a historic house museum, the house was moved to Forest Home Farms Historic Park in 1998.  As part of Forest Home Farms Historic Park, the Glass House is now on the National Register of Historic Places due to its brilliant example of Italianate Victorian architecture. 

The Glass House is actually three separate structures: the main house, the kitchen and the tank house.  The kitchen is said to be a portion of the original “old” Glass home that was attached to the “new” house. Due to the high risk of fire from the wood stoves, it was not uncommon to see separate buildings for the kitchen during this period.  The two-story tank house was built to elevate the water so that when wind is not available to pump the water by windmill the water pressure would occur by gravity.

As a historical museum, the house is used as a learning center for children and adults alike. Hundreds of children in the San Roman school district are invited to come every year as a part of their curriculum to learn about the house, the Glass Family and their way of life. After touring the house with guides and learning about the story behind each room, the children are invited to participate in fun activities that simulate life as a Glass House family member. 

Through the Glass House we are able to dive into the past and discover a part of San Ramon from long ago, a city with humble beginnings and a rich history…a place we all call home.