Silvergate: how Tom Gentry gave Dublin a name
Tucked among the oak-studded hills of Dublin, California, the quiet streets of Silvergate might seem like just another 1960s neighborhood—but this was no ordinary subdivision. This is where Dublin truly got its name.
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| From an August 1964 Oakland Tribune ad—the sun had never been so excited to see the name "Dublin" used in print. |
Early history: before Dublin had a name
The story begins long before tract homes and cul-de-sacs. In 1834, José María Amador received a vast Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramón. For decades, this expanse of open hills and grassland stretched across what would eventually become parts of two counties—Contra Costa and Alameda.
After California gained statehood, Contra Costa County was formed and originally included the territory of today’s Alameda County. In 1852, Leo Norris bought 10,000 acres of Rancho San Ramón from Amador. Just one year later, Alameda County was carved out, and the new county line sliced right through Amador’s rancho. The result? A cartographic tangle that left the region with three different San Ramons—two in Contra Costa, and a third in Alameda.
Meanwhile, to the south of the Rancho, a small crossroads community was emerging near a church, a cemetery, and a post office. Though technically part of Rancho Santa Rita, this little settlement became casually known as Dublin, thanks to its Irish settlers. Still, official maps labeled the area by the surrounding valley names—San Ramon and Amador—and for decades, Dublin remained unofficial, unlabeled, and nearly forgotten.
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| Historic map from 1904 showing the village of Dublin just outside old Rancho San Ramon. |
San Ramon takes the spotlight
By the late 1950s, the Tri-Valley was changing fast. Southern California developers Volk-McLain bought up large tracts of land straddling the county line and launched a major housing project they called San Ramon Village—a nod to the area’s rancho-era roots.
The Village technically broke ground in what we now call Dublin, but it extended north into what would become San Ramon. As homes filled the landscape, the name "Dublin" faded further from memory. On paper and in practice, the area was becoming San Ramon.
Tom Gentry’s vision: bringing Dublin back on the map
But in 1962, a developer named Tom Gentry arrived with a different idea. He acquired 250 acres of hilly farmland just west of San Ramon Village. He wasn’t just looking to build houses—he wanted to build something different. Something that stood apart from the growing sprawl next door.
Gentry knew the neighborhood needed an identity—something rooted, something local, something lasting. So he reached back into the region’s informal past and dusted off a name that had all but disappeared: Dublin.
It was a bold move, especially given how well “San Ramon” had embedded itself into the area’s marketing and planning. But Gentry believed that Dublin deserved its own place on the map—and he was going to put it there.
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| Late 1960s map of Dublin and San Ramon. |
Mid-century ranch homes with a view
Between 1962 and 1968, Gentry transformed his acreage into Silvergate—originally spelled “Silver Gate.” It wasn’t just another subdivision; it was a flagship for the new Dublin.
Picture wide, gently winding streets lined with 400 ranch-style homes—with panoramic views of the valley and the soft glow of mid-century California optimism. The houses were roomy, many with open floor plans, two-car garages, and large backyards. Some even came with in-ground swimming pools—a shimmering rectangle of blue behind a cedar fence, where kids splashed all summer and parents hosted martini-soaked barbecues on concrete patios.
At $18,800, these homes were around $3,000 more than those in nearby San Ramon Village, but buyers didn’t mind. Silvergate offered more than square footage. It offered hills, views, quality, and a name—Dublin—that set it apart.
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| From a December 1963 Oakland Tribune ad—she’s lost in the moment—and possibly the floor plan. With her hair as high as the beamed ceilings and a staircase to nowhere behind her, she arranges flowers like the Cold War isn’t happening. |
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| Map of Silvergate neighborhood in Dublin, California. |
Silvergate model homes (1962-1965)
The first model complex opened on San Sabana Court in late 1962 and closed out in late 1965. Although 6 models were available to buy, only 5 were shown in the complex. They were designed by architect Norm Dyer, AIA, and sold in units 1 through 5.
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| Site of the first Silvergate model home complex. |
Pricing history
1962: $18,800 +
1963: $19,000 - $23,000
1964: $19,995 +
1965: $20,250 - $26,500
1. The Castilian- 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,760 sq. ft.
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| The original Castilian model today. |
2. The Plan 2- 4 or 5 bedrooms, 2 or 2.5 bathrooms, 1,927 to 1,951 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 2 model today. |
3. The Casa Camino- 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2,035 sq. ft. Added in 1963. This home was the first in the region to offer a Monterey Colonial elevation.
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| The original Casa Camino model today. |
4. The Plan 4- 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,416 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 4 model today. |
5. The Plan 5- 3-bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,348 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 5 model today (with second-story expansion). |
Silvergate model homes (1965-1968)
With the sellout of the first phase of Silvergate, Gentry opened a new line of homes in late 1965. Dubbed "the new Silvergate," these new homes were grand as the hills they were built upon.
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| Ad for Silvergate from June 1966. |
The second model complex opened on Castilian Road at Silvergate Drive in late 1965, with a grand opening in January 1966. Originally with 4 models, it grew to 7 by closeout.
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| Site of the second Silvergate model home complex. |
Pricing history
1965: $20,250 - $26,500
1966: $21,950 - $27,500
1967: $23,950 +
1968: $24,950 - $28,950
1. The Plan 1 - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,432 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 1 model today. |
2. The Plan 2- 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,477 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 2 model today. |
3. The Plan 3- 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,522 sq. ft.
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| The original Plan 3 model today (with second-story expansion). |
4. The Castilian - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,760 sq. ft. Carried over from the first phase.
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| The original Castilian model today. |
5. The Casa Camino - 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2,035 sq. ft. Carried over from the first phase.
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| The original Casa Camino model today (with expansion over garage). |
6. The San Antonio - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,623 sq. ft. Added in November 1967.
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| The original San Antonio model today. |
7. The Plan 7 - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,499 sq. ft. Added in 1967.
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| The original Plan 7 model today. |
Silvergate: the neighborhood wired for the future
Some might say that the golden age of cable television in our little corner of the world began with none other than Tom Gentry. Back then, if you relied on an antenna, your TV diet consisted almost exclusively of channel 36—and only if you held your breath and didn’t move. In Silvergate, you might catch a ghostly flicker of a Sacramento station, provided the wind was blowing just right, the moon was full, and you sacrificed a coat hanger to the TV gods.
But then came Tom, with a twinkle in his eye and a vision in his heart. With a recently installed master antenna built on a hilltop nearby, he brought cable television to every home in Silvergate. And just like that, the snowy screens of yesteryear gave way to a world of channels (all 9 of them). We wore our Cablevision lapel buttons like badges of honor—each one declaring, with just a hint of smug pride: antennas are for the birds.
The legacy of Silvergate and the Dublin name
Tom Gentry’s work in Dublin was brief but transformative. By the time Silvergate was completed in 1968, other developers had caught on and began using the Dublin name as well. Though Gentry’s only project in Dublin was Silvergate, he went on to build The Orchards and Oak Creek subdivisions in San Ramon—in what he affectionately called "north of Dublin."
He retired to Hawaii in the mid-1970s, but the mark he left on Dublin has never faded.
Silvergate stands as a living tribute to his vision—not just a neighborhood, but a turning point. Because of Tom Gentry, Dublin didn’t just survive. It had a name, a community, and a place in California history.
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