Located in a secluded spot in Oakland, the Dunsmuir house was built in 1899 by J. Eugene Freeman. Built for Alexander Dunsmuir, the son of a rich coal baron from Vancouver, British Columbia.
The house was a "wedding gift" to his bride, Josephine, but he never got to enjoy it as he passed away on January 31, 1900 on their honeymoon while in Manhattan. His wife came back to the home to live out the rest of her days,which was only about a year later, when she also fell ill and passed away on June 23, 1901.
Rumors that the newlywed couple dying so quickly after building the home has sparked legend and lore around the home's history. The truth of the matter was, the couple were not really newlyweds at all. Josephine and Alexander had been "playing house" for over 18 years before they actually married. He was afraid of his father's disapproval of the union so he kept it a secret. Alexander waited until his father died to allow their affair to be announced.
It was said that he was also afraid his mother, and that she too would disinherit him if she knew about his union, so he had planned on keeping it a secret indefinitely. Somehow, word got out so he made it official and married her properly. Sadly, the two never got to enjoy proper married life together.--
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY IS COPYRIGHTED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER : ROLAND BOULWARE
(Copyright 2020 - Roland Boulware)
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