Boarders: El Camino, Oak Grove, Rollins Road, Burlingame Avenue

Schools: Burlingame High School

Parks: Washington Park, Burlingame Aquatic Center

John Donnelly purchased five acres north of Burlingame Avenue, between Primrose and Park roads, where he built the first family home in Burlingame in 1876. This house was highlighted by a windmill and water tower. With 1000 fruit trees and shrubs the garden was lavish and bountiful. The home was constructed during the time Burlingame Avenue was still a private property. Both properties had gates that bore the warning sign “keep out”. The house was moved in 1915 a block north, which later become Donnelly Avenue, which was ultimately wrecked in 1964 to make way for a parking lot.

Burlingame High School (BHS) opened its doors December 1923, under the name “San Mateo High School, Burlingame Branch.” Students came from Burlingame, Hillsborough, Millbrae, and San Bruno. The Burlingame Branch and San Mateo Branch joined together to form one sports team and one single band. In 1927, enrollment had doubled and almost tripled in size, which is when the school officially changed its name to Burlingame High School. San Mateo became the rival school and every year the two schools come together to play the “The Little Big Game”, which the students new and old cheer on their beloved football team in hopes to win “The Paw”!

BHS is lucky enough to house an Olympic sized swimming pool, which houses Burlingame Aquatic Center (BAC) which is where the Burlingame Parks and Recreations Department offers swimming lessons, lap swim, recreational swim, special events, and pool rentals to the community.

Borders: California Drive, Oak Grove, Rollins Road, Broadway

Parks: Alpine Playground

Everything north of Burlingame Ave was once believed to be owned by stock breeder William Corbitt. His 400 acres was acquired during the 1870’s where he built a model stock farm.  Corbitt’s stock was shipped each year to New York. He gained a worldwide reputation, where he and Leland Stanford shared the honor of breeding the greatest number of champion trotter in America. In 1882, Corbitt purchased Guy Wilkes, which was known as one of the best investments to ever have been made since Guy Wilkes won the sum of $119,156 in a span of five years. Corbitt was said to have made over $450,000 from the sales of horses from his farm.

This property is also located on top of the past Ansel Mills Easton property, Black Halk Ranch.  (For more on the Easton’s please refer to previous post).

Things in the past really looked a lot different, such as where the Rector Porch Audi car dealership stands today, there once was a Chinese shrimp farm. In addition, history has it that Anza Boulevard was once home to Sara Winchester, a house boat that is, which stood on the bay under the eucalyptus trees. Sarah was known because of her family fortune of Winchester Rifles.

Borders: El Camino, Davis, Adeline

Schools: Lincoln Elementary

Parks: Ray Park

Ray Park was one of two estates built on top of the former Darius Ogden Mills Estate. Milton S. Ray, an ornithologist as well as an avid history buff, named Ray Park after himself and the streets after explores such as Colorado, Marco Polo, and Quesada. At the entrance of El Camino into Ray Park, there is a clipper ship, which maybe homage to his father, who owned The Ray Burner Co. which manufactured oil burners for ships.

Lincoln Elementary opened in 1950. There are 370 student in grades K – 5th who as a student embraces the “ Caring Majority” model. The students are thought in an environment that has diversity, fairness, trust, understanding, and camaraderie. The student believe in standing up for themselves and others in what is right while respecting other people’s idea and actions. The school is shines in their band, basketball, student council/ student government.

Ray Park’s neighborhood park can accommodate a variety of activities simultaneously. There is a shaded playground, which is ideal for hot days. A two-acre turf area is home to the local Girls Softball Association. To round out the available facilities, there are tennis courts and a multi-use court. Two picnic tables are available without reservations for small groups.

Borders: El Camino, Adeline, Sanchez, Alverado

Schools: Roosevelt Elementary, Our Lady of Angels, Our Lady of Preschool, First Presbyterian Preschool

Churches: Our Lady of Angels, First Presbyterian Church, Trinity Lutheran Church

Libraries: Easton Branch Library

Ansel I. and Adeline Easton house ranch was 1500 acres and is known today as the Easton addition. (For more extensive history please look back at Post Titled: Burlingame’s connection to the Easton Family and Ansel Adams).

Our Lady of Angels (OLA) parish was formed November 15, 1926 by Archbishop Hanna when he assigned the Capuchin Franciscans to the new community of 200 families. The boundaries of the Easton’s 1500 acre farm defined the new parish. Capuchins purchased a small cottage, originally used for a school, with a loan of $3500 which was transformed into a church. On December 19, 1926 parishioners sat on wooden planks and had their first Mass. The rapidly expanding parish converted the cottage back into a school and purchased another building next door, which was transformed into the church. August 22, 1927 the first parochial school in the area opened with five grades staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The Parish celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1976 with a Mass and Champagne Reception. The Mass was attended by state and local dignitaries, religious leaders, OLA school alumni, and parishioners. There are currently 2100 families within the parish.

Roosevelt School was the second school in Burlingame to be opened in 1919, but was originally called Roosevelt Grammar School. Roosevelt closed along with Coolidge and Hoover in the 1970’s because of declining enrollments. Roosevelt was renovated and reopened in 1997, but the other schools that were closed never were reopened and were torn down later to become Shinnyo-En Buddhism, the largest growing Buddhist sect outside Japan.

The Easton Branch Library was built in 1927 and was originally where the North Burlingame Women’s Club resided. This building became a library in 1942. In 2004 the community came together to reconstruct and refurbish the Puebla Mission style structure. A “Secret Garden” was added during the renovation, which can be found outside the children’s picture book room known as the “Lions Den”. There is also a fireplace inside of the adult section, which you can cozy up next to and read one of the books you have chosen. This library was also featured in articles in Library Journal and American Libraries in 2005.