Published June 22, 2025
In the spring of 1968, builder H.C. Elliott cracked open a new tract of land in north Livermore and introduced Somerset, his second series of tract homes in Elliott’s Town Square community.
At the heart of it all was the Somerset House, marketed as a “smart home.” This expandable house came with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and plenty of room to grow. What some called an attic, Elliott called an unfinished second story—because the idea was simple: your home should grow with your family. The base model kept it modest, but for a bit more, you could finish that second floor with two extra bedrooms and a bathroom.
The public caught on quickly. Within 60 days of opening, Elliott sold 90 homes. The Somerset name stuck—not just for the model, but the series of homes, then the neighborhood itself.
At first, Elliott planned to be finished by 1970. But builders, like homeowners, are easily tempted. When developer Jim Knuppe decided not to finish his Garden Homes project nearby, Elliott swooped in and picked up the remaining 135 lots—some nestled between Knuppe’s already-built homes. This new area, which stretched both sides of Murrieta Boulevard, became Somerset South.
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| May 1968 Oakland Tribune ad—the expandable home with unfinished second-story. Base price didn't include windows on the second story or a staircase to get there--those were extra. |
Somerset homes and architectural style
When H. C. Elliott introduced Somerset in 1968, prospective buyers encountered the housing tract through its model homes. The models showcased the different designs, floor plans, and lifestyles the builder was offering to buyers in Livermore.
The original Somerset models
The original model homes provide a useful cross-section of Somerset's architecture. H. C. Elliott selected six models for the 1968 opening on Delaware Way, with two more added in 1969, one in 1970, two more in 1971, and then two more in 1973. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions Elliott chose to put on display.
Although the model complex closed in 1971, it re-opened in 1972 to sell homes in the new Somerset West tract. By September 1973, this model complex was closed because Elliott had opened a new model complex in Somerset West.
The Danbury
This model offered approximately 1,140 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Danbury model today via Google Street View. This home also housed the sales office. |
The Ridgewood
This model offered approximately 1,400 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Ridgewood model today via Google Street View. |
The Monterey
This model offered approximately 1,472 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Monterey model today via Google Street View. |
The Sheffield
This model offered approximately 1,600 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Retired in 1973.
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| Original Sheffield model today via Google Street View. |
The Somerset House
This 1 1/2-story model offered approximately 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and an unfinished second story. As an expandable home, buyers could later finish the space as they'd like, although no stairs or second-floor windows were provided. Alternatively, the home was offered fully-finished with approximately 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms total.
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| Original Somerset House model today via Google Street View. |
The Huntington
This model offered approximately 1,573 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Briefly renamed the Sheffield in 1973.
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| Original Huntington model today via Google Street View. |
The Somerset House II/The Spacemaster
This 1 1/2-story model offered approximately 1,100 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Added in 1969; retired in 1972. A revision of the original Somerset House. Included were blueprints for a 500 sq. ft. second story with 2 additional bedrooms and a bathroom. Windows on the second story and a staircase were extra, though. Owners had trouble figuring out placement of the windows, so in 1970, this model was rebranded as the Spacemaster and included windows on the second story--and a kit with pre-cut lumber to build a staircase.
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| September 1970 ad for Somerset Homes, featuring the Spacemaster model. Marketed with a fully stubbed but unfinished upstairs, the home gave buyers the option to add two more bedrooms and a bathroom—with free plans included. “Buy a home with big overhead—big overhead space, that is,” the ad teased. |
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| Original Somerset House II model today, later called the Spacemaster, via Google Street View. |
The Tamerlane
This two-story model offered approximately 1,640 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1969.
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| February 1970 ad for Somerset, showcasing the Tamerlane model. Marketed at $25,950—below the estimated construction cost—the home came with a full-sized lot and a bonus upstairs room. |
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| Original Tamerlane model today via Google Street View. |
The Homestead
This model offered approximately 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. Added in 1970. This design introduced cement slab foundations instead of traditional raised hardwood floors to lower construction costs.
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| January 1970 ad for the Homestead model at Somerset. Marketed at $19,500, it was the lowest-priced model introduced in 1970. |
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| Original Homestead model today via Google Street View. |
The La Paz
This model offered approximately 988 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. Added in 1971. Included were blueprints to add a master suite with bathroom, and a larger family room.
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| January 1971 ad for Somerset Homes introducing the La Paz model as “the complete house” for just $19,500. The ad emphasizes simplicity and value, with only two optional upgrades: a fireplace and a dishwasher. |
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| Original La Paz model today via Google Street View. |
The San Juan
This model offered approximately 1,268 square feet with up to 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1971.
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| Original San Juan model today via Google Street View. |
The Scottsdale
This model offered approximately 1,343 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1973 to build in the Somerset West tract.
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| Original Scottsdale model today via Google Street View. |
The Huntington
This model offered approximately 1,479 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1973 to build in the Somerset West tract. Featured the infamous "curvilinear kitchen." When introduced, it stole the Huntington name from a different model, which was then renamed the Sheffield.
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| Original Huntington model today via Google Street View. |
Marketing Somerset
In the Somerset homes, pantries were designed with practicality and convenience in mind—no more cluttered countertops or last-minute grocery hunts. These spacious, organized spaces became a staple, giving families the room to stock up on staples, snacks, and all those little extras that make a kitchen feel like home. From canned goods to cereals, the pantry was the quiet workhorse behind every meal and midnight snack.
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| September 1968 Oakland Tribune—snack mission in progress: She’s tucking away Rice-A-Roni, Cap’n Crunch, and Special K—because a smart pantry means never having to say, “We’re out of cereal!” |
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| August 1969 Oakland Tribune—Fear tactic alert! Because nothing says “buy now” like a little friendly panic over rising prices. |
Legacy of Somerset
By April 1971, every one of the 474 homes in Somerset and Somerset South had been sold. And here’s the kicker: through four years and two housing tracts, Elliott never raised the starting price of a home above $19,500.
Some people remember Somerset as a model. Others remember it as a place. But for the better part of a decade, it was a steady pulse in Livermore’s suburban heartbeat. With homes priced to start under $20,000, and flexible floor plans that grew with families, it was more than tract housing. It was a strategy: build it smarter, sell it quickly, rename it later if needed.
And Elliott? He didn’t just ride the wave—he built the shoreline. One home at a time.
Collection
Livermore — the making of a suburban city
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