Published June 27, 2025
Between 1970 and 1976, homebuilder H. C. Elliott built 472 homes across 139 acres in the Vintage Hills housing tract in Pleasanton. H. C. Elliott’s tract overlooked the Amador Valley and became a coveted spot for buyers looking for charm, views, and something just a little different.
Vintage Hills launched with a grand opening on August 23, 1970, but homes weren’t actually sold on-site. Early sales were conducted through Elliott’s Pleasanton Meadows housing tract—freeway-close, but nowhere near the hills. Prospective buyers had to follow a winding trail of turns to get to Vintage Hills, making the journey feel more like a treasure hunt than a house hunt.
Despite the detour, it worked: by 1974, 339 homes had been sold across the first 100 acres. A housing moratorium paused development for over a year, but when sales resumed in 1975, interest was so strong that some buyers camped out overnight to secure a home. Another 133 homes were built between 1975 and 1976, rounding out the original H.C. Elliott development.
Mapping Vintage Hills by H. C. Elliott
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| Annotated aerial map of the Vintage Hills housing tract in Pleasanton, California. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
Vintage Hills homes and architectural style
When H. C. Elliott introduced Vintage Hills in 1970, 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 Pleasanton.
The original 1970 Vintage Hills models
Homes from H.C. Elliott's Pleasanton Meadows model complex were used to market Vintage Hills. Homes from this series were mainly built along Crellin Road and Vintner Way.
To see the model homes, visit Pleasanton Meadows: Pleasanton homes by H. C. Elliott's (1970)
The original 1972 Vintage Hills models
The original model homes provide a useful cross-section of Vintage Hill's architecture. H. C. Elliott selected five models for the 1972 opening on Gamay Court, with a sixth added in 1973. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions Elliott chose to put on display.
The Coronado
This tri-level model offered approximately 2,050 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Coronado model today via Google Street View. |
The Californian
This model offered approximately 1,549 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Californian model today via Google Street View. |
The Montebello
This model offered approximately 2,003 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Montebello model today via Google Street View. |
The San Simeon
This model offered approximately 1,830 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| February 1972 Oakland Tribune newspaper clipping—triple arches, because subtlety was never the point—Vintage Hills brought drama to the driveway. |
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| Original San Simeon model today via Google Street View. |
The Carmel
This model offered approximately 1,323 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Carmel model today via Google Street View. |
The Huntington
This model offered approximately 1,699 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Added in 1973.
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| March 1973 Oakland Tribune newspaper clipping—one of many available exteriors of the Huntington model at Vintage Hills. |
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| March 1973 Oakland Tribune newspaper clipping—floor plan of the Huntington model at Vintage Hills with its round kitchen. |
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| Original Huntington model today via Google Street View. |
The original 1975 Vintage Hills models
H. C. Elliott selected four models for the 1975 opening on Tawny Drive, with a fifth design not shown. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions Elliott chose to put on display.
The Californian (Plan 74)
This model offered approximately 1,549 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original Californian model today via Google Street View. |
The Newporter (Plan 76)
This model offered approximately 1,993 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
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| Original Newporter model today via Google Street View. |
The San Simeon (Plan 72)
This model offered approximately 1,471 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Original San Simeon model today via Google Street View. |
The Arcadian (Plan 75)
This model offered approximately 2,442 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Original Arcadian model today via Google Street View. |
The Monterey (Plan 73)
This model offered approximately 1,601 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Not shown in the model complex.
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| A Monterey home via Google Street View. No model was displayed. |
Marketing Vintage Hills
Architecturally, Vintage Hills stood apart. Elliott offered homes in four styles—Spanish, Traditional, Ranch, and Colonial—but it was the Spanish-style models that stole the show. Dramatic arches, sometimes in singles, doubles, or even triples, created a visual rhythm throughout the tract. These weren’t just decorative—they embodied the open, inviting lifestyle that Elliott was selling.
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| August 1970 Oakland Tribune ad—a world apart at its grand opening—where the views were sweeping, the model complex was miles away, and the dream was worth the detour. |
In 1973, Elliott introduced a feature that would become a legend in Vintage Hills: the curvilinear kitchen. Installed in homes like the Huntington model, these rounded kitchens flowed effortlessly into family rooms, enhancing both movement and sightlines. A pass-through window to the patio added functionality and flair—perfect for backyard parties, lemonade stands, or sneakily passing snacks outside. More than just a novelty, these kitchens were unforgettable.
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| 1973 newspaper ad—the debut of The Huntington model — a 4-bedroom Pleasanton home featuring a distinctive round kitchen, reflecting the era’s suburban growth and design trends. |
Though the original H.C. Elliott era ended in 1976, Great American Homes picked up where Elliott left off, developing additional homes in 1978–79 under the same Vintage Hills name. The tract's charm endured, and its identity remained intact.
Collection
Pleasanton — building a suburban city
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