Published October 16, 2025
Perched on the rolling hills of west Dublin, the Briarhill housing tract stands as a symbol of postwar optimism and suburban luxury in the Tri-Valley region. Spanning 106 acres of undulating land with commanding views of the Amador Valley, Briarhill was more than a housing development—it was a vision for a new kind of suburban living, one that blended architectural ambition, exclusivity, and the aspirations of the Bay Area’s burgeoning middle class.
Mapping Briarhill
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| Annotated aerial map of the Briarhill tract in Dublin, California. Base imagery from Apple Maps. |
The birth of Briarhill: 1963
The story begins in 1963, when San Leandro-based Perma-Bilt Enterprises broke ground on the Briarhill housing tract. At the time, Dublin was still emerging from its agricultural roots and grappling with the rapid pace of suburbanization spreading eastward from Oakland and Hayward. Briarhill marked a turning point: it was Dublin’s first true "upscale" neighborhood, setting itself apart from more modest neighborhoods like San Ramon Village.
With new homes priced from $24,950—nearly $8,000 more than those in nearby neighborhoods—Briarhill was marketed as a luxury enclave. Perma-Bilt emphasized large, hillside lots, modern floorplans, and elegant amenities. Each home was designed to take advantage of the natural terrain, with oversized windows to capture views of the valley and beyond.
Homes and architecture
When Perma-Bilt Enterprises introduced Briarhill in 1963, 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 Dublin.
The 1963 Briarhill home designs (Perma-Bilt)
The original model homes provide a useful cross-section of Briarhill's architecture. Perma-Bilt selected four models for the 1963 opening on Hansen Drive, with a fifth model opening in 1965. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions Perma-Bilt chose to put on display.
Plan 1
This design offered approximately 1,774 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Perma-Bilt's 1963 Plan 1 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Plan 2
This design offered approximately 1,901 square feet with up to 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Perma-Bilt's 1963 Plan 2 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Plan 3
This design offered approximately 2,220 square feet with up to 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Perma-Bilt's 1963 Plan 3 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Plan 4
This design offered approximately 1,971 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Perma-Bilt's 1963 Plan 4 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Plan 5
This design offered approximately 2,031 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Added in 1965.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Perma-Bilt's 1965 Plan 5 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
The 1970 Briarhill home designs (Boise-Cascade)
Boise-Cascade selected three models for the 1970 opening on Silvergate Drive, However, 10 different designs were available for purchase. Although buyers could choose among different elevations and options, these models document the versions Boise-Cascade chose to put on display.
Plan 1
This design offered approximately 2,082 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A reverse 2-story home with entrance on the upper-level.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Boise-Cascade's 1970 Plan 1 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Plan 2
This design offered approximately 2,064 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Another reverse 2-story home.
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| Present-day view of the home that served as Boise-Cascade's 1970 Plan 2 model in Briarhill. Imagery from Google Street View. |
Marketing Briarhill
The homes themselves reflected the refined tastes of the mid-1960s buyer. Spacious one and two-story homes featured vaulted ceilings, formal dining rooms, and multiple bathrooms—luxuries still uncommon in many Bay Area tract homes at the time. Perma-Bilt's craftsmanship and quality finish work earned them a loyal following, particularly among families upgrading from smaller homes in Castro Valley, Hayward, and San Leandro.
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| Promoting one of the homes praised in McCall’s Magazine, this ad highlights the charm of Briarhill’s mid-century architectural style—rustic yet refined. Features like the hand-split cedar-shake roof, wide windows, and generous chimney captured the imagination of suburban buyers seeking a blend of elegance and country comfort. |
By 1965, Briarhill’s "Observation Hill" phase pushed development higher up the slopes, offering lots at 800 feet elevation—some of the highest residential parcels in Dublin at the time. With 10,000-square-foot lots and panoramic vistas, this was Dublin’s answer to hillside luxury living.
Equally innovative was the financing. Buyers were enticed with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and no balloon payments—important at a time when some nearby housing tracts, like San Ramon Village, began experiencing financing difficulties. A modest $1,000 deposit was all that was needed to secure a home.
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| Observation Hill advertisement, September 1965: Announcing the debut of Briarhill’s highest phase—Observation Hill—this boldly styled ad leaned into elevation as both a geographic and social metaphor. With the tagline “To live anywhere else is beneath you,” and a playful illustration of closed eyes and a turned-up nose, the ad appealed to buyers seeking not just views, but status. Lots in this phase sat 800 feet above the valley floor and offered panoramic vistas unmatched in Dublin at the time. |
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| "So Call Us Crazy" Briarhill ad, January 1967: This 1967 advertisement captured the confident tone of the era’s real estate boom. Offering a magnificent 5-bedroom, 3-bath hillside home with sweeping valley views for just $1,000 down, the ad playfully acknowledged its own audacity: “So call us crazy.” With a commute time of only 20 minutes to Oakland, Briarhill was pitched as an unbelievable opportunity—luxury living within reach of the East Bay's growing professional class. |
Boise-Cascade takes the reins: 1970
In 1970, national conglomerate Boise-Cascade acquired Perma-Bilt and moved to complete the subdivision, bringing with it a streamlined approach and new architectural offerings. Though only 37 homes were built under Boise-Cascade’s tenure, they marked a transition to slightly larger, more contemporary layouts.
A new set of model homes opened along Silvergate Drive, showcasing two-story reverse floor plans—an unusual but space-efficient design. Though the development period was short-lived, it left its architectural imprint on the neighborhood.
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| "Up the Hill, Overlooking the Valley" – Boise-Cascade grand opening ad, April 1970 This ad marked Boise-Cascade’s debut in Briarhill, inviting buyers to explore a "world apart" in Dublin’s premier hillside neighborhood. With prices ranging from $29,500 to $43,500, these new homes promised scenic views, modern design, and a lifestyle elevated—both literally and figuratively. |
Infill & completion: Dublin Construction Company and beyond
Later in 1972, Dublin Construction Company, a local infill developer, acquired remaining lots and built a final set of homes. Though Perma-Bilt originally intending to build up to 450 homes across the tract, the completed count came closer to 377 homes by the time their work concluded. The remaining portions of the tract would be built out in the 1980s by other developers, completing the transformation of Briarhill from hillside pasture to fully realized neighborhood.
Dublin Construction Company opened a sales office on Silvergate Drive to finish the tract.
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| Former sales office of Dublin Construction Company on Silvergate Drive, via Google Street View. |
Legacy of Briarhill
More than just a housing tract, Briarhill represents a cultural moment in Dublin’s transformation. It was the first tract in the city to blend modern suburban ideals—privacy, prestige, amenities, and scenic beauty—into a cohesive development. The tract homes drew professionals, educators, and business owners—many of whom would shape Dublin’s early civic life.
Its cabana club and swimming pool became central gathering points, nurturing community ties and forming part of the city's mid-century social fabric. These spaces served not just as leisure areas, but as places where young families built roots in the growing suburb.
Today, the former model homes still stand—some lovingly preserved, others modestly altered—but all carrying the weight of a housing tract that dared to dream bigger in a time of expansive change.
Collection
Dublin — postwar homes and housing tracts
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