The builder who was a painter

Bentley house (photo: Daniella Thompson)

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Berkeley boasted the presense of Alphonso Herman Broad. Prominent Berkeley contractor, builder, pioneer civic figure, and amateur artist, Alphonso Herman Broad was born in Maine in 1851. He came to Berkeley in 1877 and took an active part in the town’s civic life, serving as a member of Berkeley’s first board of trustees in 1881. Later he became town marshal. In 1880, A.H. Broad went into business as a building contractor and designer, and within five years was well-known throughout Berkeley and Oakland for his Eastlake Cottages. Until his death in 1930, Broad not only supervised construction of a large number of structures in all parts of Berkeley but also designed many of them.

Find out more about this colorful figure in this article on the Bentley house.