A Brief History of Maxwell Park

Maxwell Park was founded in the early 1920s as a private whites-only covenant, “restricted as to Orientals, Asiatics, and Africans.”  Purchased by John P. Maxwell, a native of Illinois and later a resident of Adams Point, the development was advertised as "Oakland's Addition Beautiful". The new addition to the city would have beautiful views, schools and access to public transportation. A streetcar line was extended into the neighborhood, along with a Southern Pacific electric line that allowed for fast transportation to San Francisco. All homes in Maxwell Park were also built in different styles to add distinction and a sense of place for each resident. At the time, home and lot prices ranged from $600- $1400 dollars with a down payment of only $1 dollar!

Source: Historical accounts from Maxwell Park residents Russell Yee and Erika Mailman of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council. Read more at http://www.maxwellparknc.com