John Galen Howard, Bernard Maybeck , Julia Morgan, Frederick Olmsted: These are just a handful of the renowned architects who passed through the halls of UC Berkeley and brought distinctive buildings to the Bay Area, California and beyond. Among these distinguished properties is 227 Tunnel Road , a stunning castle-like mansion perched in the Berkeley Hills. Now, thanks to modern renovations, “The Rocks” is more like a royal compound than ever — and it’s for sale for the first time since 1983, asking $11 million.
The Rocks is a historic and iconic estate, built in 1913 by John Hudson Thomas. Thomas was also a UC Berkeley student — there, he studied under Maybeck and Howard, and later worked for Howard from 1904 to 1906 before establishing a firm with fellow architect George Plowman. Together, Thomas and Plowman focused on Arts and Crafts design and added 50 structures to the Bay Area landscape.
Later, as his success continued to climb, Thomas formed his own independent practice. Among his notable works are the Hume Cluster in Buena Vista Hills, the Captain Maury residence, the Spring Mansion in Berkeley, and The Rocks, which he designed for a prominent East Bay family. According to an email from listing agent Julie Nachtwey of Compass, The Rocks was Thomas’ largest commission in both scale and budget.
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