Built between 1960 and 1961 by developers Volk-McLain, the San Ramon Village subdivision marked the beginning of large-scale suburban development in Dublin and became one of the most influential early neighborhoods in the Tri-Valley. With its curving streets, affordable mid-century homes, and carefully planned layout, San Ramon Village introduced the suburban blueprint that would later define much of Dublin and neighboring San Ramon.
Today, the subdivision remains one of the region’s most important surviving examples of early postwar suburban planning.
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| 1960 San Francisco Chronicle ad—4,000 acres of peaceful countryside that could be your new home. |
A village is planted
Sales in San Ramon Village officially began during Labor Day weekend in 1960. By year’s end, families had already begun moving into the new subdivision, attracted by affordable prices, modern conveniences, and scenic views of the Dublin Hills.
The subdivision was strategically positioned between Alcosta Boulevard and Amador Valley Road, creating what developers hoped would become an ideal suburban community for Bay Area families seeking more space and quieter living conditions.
That vision proved remarkably successful.
Rather than a scattered collection of subdivisions, San Ramon Village was carefully master-planned with curving streets, consistent setbacks, community identity, and architectural variation.
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| A tropical modern elevation, typical of Volk-McLain developments up until 1960. Imagery via Google Street View. |
San Ramon Village reaches Unit 5
In February 1961, Volk-McLain announced the grand opening of Unit 5 in San Ramon Village. The builder promoted new four-bedroom homes with a playful advertisement aimed at families, offering two "sultan-size" baths from $15,995.
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| Volk-McLain advertisement announcing the grand opening of Unit 5 in San Ramon Village, February 1961. |
By March 1961, San Ramon Village was already well underway. A March 26, 1961, Oakland Tribune article reported that new model homes were being shown in Unit No. 5, which was planned for 224 homes when completed. The article also reported that, since the community's grand opening the previous September, 624 residences had been sold and more than 550 homes had already been constructed.
The figures provide a snapshot of the community's rapid early growth, but they should not be interpreted as a complete count of all homes planned for San Ramon Village. The 224-home figure was a projection for Unit 5, while the 624 figure represented sales across the community as of March 1961.
Selling the dream
The homes of San Ramon Village were designed by architect Raymond Dean Conwell, AIA (1925–1965), who collaborated closely with Volk-McLain on several important Tri-Valley developments.
Conwell’s designs blended efficiency, affordability, and mid-century style into homes aimed squarely at the growing postwar middle class. These were not luxury homes, but they offered far more design attention and variety than many competing tract developments of the era.
Features commonly included:
- Thermostatically controlled heating
- Acoustical ceilings
- Philippine mahogany or knotty pine cabinetry
- Diamond-pane windows
- Built-in kitchen appliances
- Colorful tiled bathrooms
- Open family-oriented layouts
For many first-time buyers, these homes represented a major step forward in comfort and opportunity.
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| 1960 Oakland Tribune ad—the original Waikiki model in all its tropical modern glory. |
Legacy of San Ramon Village
By the time the model complex was replaced by the new Brighton Circle model complex in mid-1962, San Ramon Village had already transformed the surrounding valley. Families had arrived. Streets had names. The foundations of modern Dublin had been laid.
More than sixty years later, the subdivision remains a living archive of early suburban California—a place where postwar optimism, affordable homeownership, and mid-century design came together on former Tri-Valley farmland.
San Ramon Village was not simply Dublin’s first subdivision.
It was the beginning of the city itself.
Exploring the original San Ramon Village today
Although the sales office is long gone and the advertisements have faded, the original San Ramon Village model homes remain part of the neighborhood. These homes gave prospective buyers their first glimpse of Volk-McLain's vision for suburban living in 1960.
Today, they provide a tangible connection to San Ramon Village's earliest days. The guide below documents the original model home complex, the homes themselves, and how they appear today.
Original advertised prices
- Sep. 1960 advertisement: From $13,995
- Feb. 1961 advertisement (Unit 5): From $13,995
- Jun. 1961 advertisement: From $14,495
- May 1962 advertisement: Volk-McLain switched to advertising only the downpayment needed to buy a new home, $295.
Original model home complex
When San Ramon Village opened, buyers toured a carefully staged collection of Volk-McLain model homes showcasing the neighborhood’s mix of architecture, indoor-outdoor living, and family-oriented floor plans. Though individual elevations varied, these original models helped define much of the neighborhood’s visual identity.
The eight original models opened in September 1960 on Hillrose Drive. Landscaped pathways guided visitors through the backyards, not just to sell homes, but an entire lifestyle. By the end of the year, four more models were added.
Unlike builders who named floor plans directly, Volk-McLain used model names to describe the exterior styling rather than the underlying floor plan itself. As a result, buyers could tour similar floor plans presented in dramatically different styles such as Colonial, Ranch, Tropical Modern, or Contemporary. This strategy helped create the illusion of greater architectural variety throughout the neighborhood.
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| Annotated aerial map of the San Ramon Village model home complex on Hillrose Drive. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
Original sales materials
The following newspaper advertisements document the original San Ramon Village homes as they were presented to prospective buyers. Together they preserve the exterior renderings, floor plans, pricing, and marketing language used during the neighborhood's first years.
The Hacienda
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| 1960 San Francisco Chronicle ad—close up detail of The Hacienda with its window coverings and unique roof trim. |
The New Orleans
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| 1961 Oakland Tribune ad—artist's rendering of the smartly designed New Orleans elevation. |
The New England
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| The New England design in its heyday. |
The Palm Springs
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| The Palm Springs design in its heyday. |
Original model home designs
1. The Bel Aire (Plan J-?) - This model offered approximately 1,340 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Bel Aire model today via Google Street View. |
2. The Ranchero (Plan E-?) - This model offered approximately 1,116 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Ranchero model today via Google Street View. |
3. The Hacienda (Plan D-1) - This model offered approximately 1,038 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Hacienda model today via Google Street View. |
4. The Farmhouse (Plan E-7) - This model offered approximately 1,116 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Farmhouse model today via Google Street View. |
5. The Cape Cod (Plan J-3) - This model offered approximately 1,340 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Cape Cod model today via Google Street View. |
6. The Mount Vernon (Plan E-?) - This model offered approximately 1,100 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Mount Vernon model today via Google Street View. |
7. The Waikiki (Plan D-?) - This model offered approximately 1,038 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Waikiki model today via Google Street View. |
8. The New Orleans (Plan E-7) - This model offered approximately 1,100 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Alternative Cape Cod elevation, The New England (E-8).
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| Original New Orleans model today via Google Street View. |
9. The Westerner (Plan J-?) - This model offered approximately 1,340 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Westerner model today via Google Street View. |
10. The San Ramon (Plan M-1) - This model offered approximately 1,424 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Alternative contemporary elevation, The Palm Springs (M-?).
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| Original San Ramon model today via Google Street View. |
11. The Southerner (Plan L-7) - This model offered approximately 1,475 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Southerner model today via Google Street View. Completely renovated. |
12. The Suburban (Plan L-1) - This model offered approximately 1,475 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Alternative contemporary elevation released in Unit 5, The Westwood (L-?).
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| Original Suburban model today via Google Street View. Completely renovated. |
Sources
- Daily Review, February 26, 1961, Volk-McLain advertisement announcing the grand opening of Unit 5, San Ramon Village.
- Oakland Tribune, March 26, 1961, p. 29, “New Model Homes Shown At San Ramon.”
Collections
Dublin — the neighborhoods that built a new city
This collection explores the new-home communities, builders, and neighborhoods that shaped Dublin during its principle years of suburban growth that gradually became the modern city.
The San Ramon Village collection explores the master-planned community that transformed former ranches and orchards into today's Dublin and South San Ramon. Although the name has largely disappeared, the neighborhoods, subdivisions, schools, parks, and shopping centers built as part of the original plan continue to shape the Tri-Valley.s
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