builder filesfile 03 of 42practice founded 1922boyenga team at compass

Birge Clark homes

Birge Clark founded his Palo Alto architecture practice in 1922 and, by the city’s count, designed hundreds of buildings in Palo Alto and at Stanford over more than fifty years. His Early California houses, with white stucco, tile roofs and patios, set much of the look of Old Palo Alto and Crescent Park. Here’s where they are, how to spot one and what they sell for.

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builder file 03birge clark
architect
Birge M. Clark, FAIA (1893–1989)
practice
founded 1922, per the City of Palo Alto
early firm
Clark and Clark, with his father, A.B. Clark
later firm
Clark and Stromquist (1945–1957) and successors
style
Early California (Spanish Colonial Revival) and more
drawings
Stanford Special Collections
listings say
“Birge Clark home,” “designed by Birge Clark”
  • sales on record · live…
  • median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
  • for sale now · live…
  • buildings on the National Register3

where they are

Where his homes are

From the National Register, Stanford’s archives, PCAD and a historian’s survey in The Almanac. Listing-only credits are in the note below.

home or groupcityyearshomesnotes
Hoover faculty cottagesStanford1924–19257One-story Early California cottages on Santa Ynez, Salvatierra and Lasuen Streets, built by Lou Henry Hoover for young faculty, per Clark’s own National Register nomination and Stanford Magazine.
Dunker HousePalo Alto19261420 Maple St in Crescent Park; National Register, 1982. Clark called it one of the first two houses in Palo Alto in the Early California style.
Norris HousePalo Alto1927–192811247 Cowper St; National Register, 1980, with builder Wells Goodenough.
Coleridge Ave blockPalo Altofrom 1923—Between Cowper and Webster in Old Palo Alto: Spanish Colonial (470), Monterey Colonial (544) and Tudor-influenced (570) houses, per a historian’s survey.
Stern houses on Cowper StPalo Alto1932–193531928, 1950 and 1990 Cowper St; Clark considered the Stern houses the peak of his Early California work, per the same survey.
701 Tennyson AvePalo Alto19371Drawn with his brother David B. Clark, per Stanford’s drawings collection.
Stanford campus homesStanford1920s–1940s—PCAD and Stanford’s archives list Clark houses on Gerona Rd (1928) and other campus streets; campus homes are owned on ground leases by eligible faculty and staff.

Listings also credit Clark with homes on Center, Fulton, Lowell, Hamilton and Kingsley in Palo Alto, more campus streets and Peach Hill Rd in Saratoga; we couldn’t confirm those from records. His other work includes the Palo Alto post office (National Register) and the Lucie Stern Community Center.

how to spot one

How to spot a Birge Clark home

From his own National Register nomination and a historian’s survey.

  • walls

    White stucco, deep windows

    Smooth white stucco meant to read as adobe, deeply set windows, round arches and paneled doors, often a two-story block with a one-story wing, per a historian’s survey.

  • roofs

    Tile roofs

    Red tile roofs; on the Dunker House the tile shades from light at the eaves to dark at the ridge, per its nomination.

  • plans

    A patio at the center

    Wings wrap a patio or cloister and rooms flow together through arches; Clark saw the style as suited to informal indoor-outdoor living.

  • details

    Handmade details

    Wrought-iron rails and grilles, adzed beams, beamed ceilings and wide-plank oak floors.

  • myth check

    Not every Spanish house is his

    He also drew Monterey Colonial, Tudor-influenced and Prairie houses, and others copied his Early California look, so confirm with permits or his drawings at Stanford.

the sales ledger

Every recorded Birge Clark sale

Each dot is a sale whose listing names Birge Clark, mostly in Palo Alto and on the Stanford campus. Hover a dot for the address, date and price.

Loading sales from the MLS…

  • sales on record…
  • median price…
  • median $ per sq ft…
  • latest sale…

one recorded salemedian for the yearprice per sq ft = sale price ÷ listed living area

soldaddressprice$/sq ftbd / basq ft

Listings credit Clark with more homes than records confirm, and Stanford campus homes sell only to eligible faculty and staff. Sales come from the MLS records available to us and include every sold listing whose description names the builder, so a few homes may be labeled by the listing agent rather than confirmed from tract records. Sold data is shown with the listing brokerage. Price per square foot uses the living area in the listing. Ask us for a full comparable-sales report on any address.

on the market

For sale now

Active listings whose description names Birge Clark.

Checking active listings…

owning one today

Owning one today

  • Palo Alto historic inventoryMany Clark houses are on Palo Alto’s historic inventory. Category 1 and 2 homes, and homes in the Professorville and Ramona Street districts, get Historic Resources Board review, so check a house’s category with the city first.
  • National Register homesThe Dunker and Norris houses are on the National Register, which also places them on the California Register.
  • Stanford campus homesHomes on Stanford land are owned on a ground lease and can be sold only to eligible faculty and staff.

the nerd check

Buying or selling one

What we check when you buy

  • Confirm the architectWe check permits and Stanford’s archive, since listings credit Clark with more homes than records confirm.
  • Historic statusWe check the city’s inventory category and review rules before you plan changes.
  • Original detailsWe note which tile, plaster and ironwork are original.
  • The right comparablesWe compare against similar period homes on the same streets first.

How we market one when you sell

  • Document the designWe gather the permit history and any archive drawings to support the Birge Clark name.
  • Photograph the detailsArches, ironwork, beams and the patio, shot to show what’s original.
  • Prep with a planOur Prep Lab budgets repairs that respect original features.
  • Price from real salesWe price from recent sales of similar period homes nearby.
What’s my home worth?Help me buy one

questions

Questions we hear

Who was Birge Clark?

A Palo Alto architect (1893–1989) who founded his practice in 1922 and designed hundreds of buildings in Palo Alto and at Stanford over more than fifty years, according to the City of Palo Alto. He taught architecture at Stanford and was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Which Birge Clark buildings are on the National Register?

The Norris House at 1247 Cowper St (listed 1980), the Palo Alto post office at 380 Hamilton Ave (1981) and the Dunker House at 420 Maple St (1982).

How can I tell if a house is a Birge Clark?

Check the permit history and Palo Alto’s historic inventory, and ask about his drawings at Stanford Special Collections. A listing’s attribution alone isn’t proof.

Can anyone buy a Birge Clark home at Stanford?

No. Stanford campus homes are owned on a ground lease and can be sold only to eligible faculty and staff.

sources

Sources

The National Register, the City of Palo Alto, Stanford archives and local history, checked October 2026.

builder files

Every builder file, by era

Bars show the years each builder was building here. See all builders or the home styles field guide.

  1. Fernando Nelson1880–1920s
  2. Gellert (Sunstream)1922–1972
  3. Birge Clark1922–1970s
  4. Stoneson1920s–1960s
  5. Doelger1927–1960s
  6. McKeon1927–early 1970s
  7. Gardner Dailey1930s–1960s
  8. William Wurster1930s–1960s
  9. Rousseau1931–1933
  10. Bohannon1936–1955
  11. Cliff May1950s
  12. Stern & Price1951–1953
  13. Mackay Homes1950s
  14. Mardell1955–1959
  15. Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
  16. Ditz-Crane1962–1984
  17. Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
  18. Bahl1968–1986
  19. Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
  20. Shapell1971–2000s
  21. SummerHill Homes1976–today
  22. Pinn Brothers1976–today
  23. Robson Homes1989–today
  24. Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
  25. Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
  26. Classic Communities1990s–2010s
  27. Warmington1990s–2020s
  28. DeNova Homes2000s–today
  29. City Ventures2011–today
  30. Trumark Homes2012–today
  31. Dividend Homes2010s–today
  32. KB Home1980s–today
  33. Brookfield1990s–today
  34. Pulte Homes2000s–today
  35. Shea Homes2000s–2010s
  36. Lennar2000s–today
  37. Toll Brothers2000s–today
  38. Taylor Morrison2007–today
  39. D.R. Horton2010s
  40. Tri Pointe Homes2012–today
  41. K. Hovnanian2014–2018
  42. Meritage Homes2010s

talk to a property nerd

Own a Birge Clark home?

We can document its history, check the review rules and value it against recent sales of similar homes nearby. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.

Book a strategy callCall (408) 373-1660Call (650) 383-8606
Questions about a Birge Clark home? Send us a note.
Eric & Janelle Boyenga

Eric & Janelle Boyenga

+1(408) 373-1660

Agent DRE01254724 / 01254725

Agent DRE01254724 / 01254725

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