Published June 8, 2025 · Last updated October 6, 2026
Amador Estates was a 1964 housing development by DevMar in Pleasanton, built along Santa Rita Road. The tract offered predominantly California Ranch-style homes in several sizes and floor plans, with three models at its 1964 opening and a fourth added the following year. Contemporary advertising emphasized the development's location, sunshine, value, and access to San Francisco.
Mapping Amador Estates
The Amador Estates housing tract can be found off Santa Rita Road. Familiar streets include Francisco Street, Cristobal Way, Alvarado Street, and Cid Way.
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| Annotated aerial map of the Amador Estates housing tract in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Amador Estates homes and architectural style
Amador Estates' original homes were predominantly California Ranch-style houses, reflecting the architectural character of suburban development in the mid-1960s. DevMar offered several variations in size, floor plan, and exterior design.
The original Amador Estates models
The original model homes provide a useful cross-section of Amador Estates' architecture. DevMar selected three models for the 1964 opening on Santa Rita Road, with a fourth added in 1965. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions DevMar chose to put on display.
The Candia (Plan 200)
This model offered approximately 1,236 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| The floor plan of the Candia from 1965. |
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| Model obscured, instead, another Candia home via Google Street View. |
The Carousel (Plan 100)
This model offered approximately 1,159 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| 1964 ad for Amador Estates in Pleasanton, featuring the Carousel home model, priced from $16,500, with the tagline, "You can’t beat Amador Estates for location!" |
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| Original Carousel model today via Google Street View. |
The Colleen (Plan 300)
This model offered approximately 1,368 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| 1966 Oakland Tribune ad—floor plan of the Colleen model at Amador estates, with a 38 minute commute from San Francisco. |
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| Original Colleen model today via Google Street View. |
The Calico (Plan 400)
This model offered approximately 1,104 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1965.
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| The floor plan for the Calico from 1965. |
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| Original Calico model today via Google Street View. |
Marketing Amador Estates
Contemporary advertising positioned Amador Estates around three themes: location, sunshine, and value. The development was promoted as a Pleasanton alternative to the Bay Area's more urban communities, with advertisements emphasizing morning sunlight, access to major roads, and relatively affordable new homes.
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| August 16, 1964 Amador Estates advertisement promoting the development's “sunshine belt” location, morning sunlight, and value. |
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| June 28, 1964 Oakland Tribune advertisement for Amador Estates, using a child playing a banjo to promote the development as “the happiest homes in Pleasanton.” |
Other advertisements emphasized practical advantages, including the development's proximity to Pleasanton amenities and its commute to San Francisco. The marketing combined lifestyle imagery with specific claims about location, price, and convenience.
Together, the model homes and contemporary advertising show how DevMar presented Amador Estates in the mid-1960s: a range of California Ranch homes distinguished by size and design, marketed through Pleasanton's setting, sunshine, and accessibility.
Collection
Pleasanton — building a suburban city
Continue exploring
- Pleasanton Valley, Pleasanton: Morrison Homes’ 1964 housing tract
- Heritage Valley, Pleasanton: Morrison Homes' 1975 housing tract
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