Frank C. Havens
Frank Colton Havens was born into one of the founding families of Shelter Island, New York, the son of Wickham Havens of Sag Harbor.
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[edit] Biography
He was a lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area from the late 19th to early 20th centuries who also was a major developer of real estate in the East Bay, particularly in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont. He built the four-story Havens Mansion in Piedmont on Wildwood Gardens using Maybeck and Tiffany. Havens was a follower of Eastern philosophy and meditation and the mansion had an opium smoking bed in it and inscription (add)related to this Philosophy.
Throughout his life, Havens maintained a summer home in Sag Harbor.
[edit] Associates
Havens was closely associated with Francis "Borax" Smith through their "Realty Syndicate" which, among other things, built the Claremont Hotel and was originally the parent company of the Key System transit company. His son, Harold C. Havens followed his father into real estate development in the East Bay area.
One of his nephews was George Sterling, a noted local poet.
His great grandson, Wickham Brandy Havens is an institution in Las Vegas. He currently serves as the concierge at Fitzgerald's Casino.
The upper floor interiors were created by a Japanese architect (add name)
[edit] Deaths
He died February 9, 1917 at his home in Piedmont. His ashes are interred at the Chapel of the Chimes adjacent to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. His mansion had an unfinished and unused tomb room.
[edit] Acknowledgements
A boulevard in Oakland is named for one of his namesake developments, Havenscourt. The Frank C. Havens Elementary School in Piedmont is also named for him.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Guide to the Frank Colton Havens Papers at The Bancroft Library
- Havens Family at Shelter Island
- Shelter Island Historical Society's Haven Store
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