Dublin's suburban landscape began taking shape before the modern city itself had emerged. Beginning in 1960, ranchland and open hills along what is now the Interstate 580 corridor gave way to housing tracts and larger residential developments that established the foundations of present-day Dublin.
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| Postcard of Dublin, California, in spring 1971. |
The largest early development was part of Volk-McLain's San Ramon Village planned community, which extended across what are now Dublin and southern San Ramon. Built beginning in 1960, the community brought multiple housing tracts together within a larger approach to suburban development. Other builders followed with developments such as Silvergate and Briarhill, adding new homes, architectural styles, and approaches to residential development.
TractTales explores this early suburban landscape through the housing tracts, builders, homes, architecture, and planning ideas that shaped Dublin during its first major period of residential growth. The archive draws on original advertisements, newspaper coverage, maps, photographs, and other contemporary sources.
The archive currently covers Dublin's early suburban development from 1960 to 1965, with 10 housing tracts documented across the period.
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| Annotated Apple Maps view of Dublin showing the location of housing tracts documented in the archive. |
Briarhill
Built by Perma-Bilt Enterprises in 1963, Briarhill introduced larger homes and hillside development to Dublin's early suburban landscape.
San Ramon Village
Dublin's earliest housing tracts formed part of Volk-McLain's San Ramon Village planned community, a larger development spanning what are now Dublin and southern San Ramon. Built beginning in 1960, it brought multiple housing tracts together within a broader suburban plan. As Volk-McLain left homebuilding in the mid-1960s, other builders continued developing portions of the community.
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Annotated aerial map showing the housing tracts that formed the Dublin portion of San Ramon Village. Base imagery from Apple Maps. Numbers indicate tracts. ① Parkwood ② Glenoaks ③ San Ramon Village ④ Brighton Circle ⑤ Barkley Square ⑥ Villa de San Ramon (includes Shamrock Estates) ⑦ Appletree ⑧ Ecco Park |
Builders
Housing tracts within San Ramon Village
- San Ramon Village, Dublin: Volk-McLain homes, 1960–1961
- Brighton Circle, Dublin: Volk-McLain homes, 1962–1963
- Parkwood, Dublin: Monarch Construction homes, 1962
- Glenoaks, Dublin: Volk-McLain homes, 1963
- Barkley Square, Dublin: Volk-McLain homes, 1963–1964
- Villa de San Ramon, Dublin: Duc & Elliot homes, 1964–1970
- Appletree, Dublin: American Housing Guild homes, 1965–1967
- Ecco Park, Dublin: Proud Homes, 1965–1969
Silvergate
Developed beginning in 1962, Silvergate is one of Dublin's early housing tracts and an example of the residential development taking shape as the community began its suburban growth.
Collection last updated: October 2025