On Lakeside Drive, one 1876 Italianate mansion still faces Lake Merritt.
The house
The Camron-Stanford House is the last of the 19th-century Victorian mansions that once ringed Lake Merritt, according to Wikipedia. William Walker Camron and his wife, Alice Marsh Camron, daughter of pioneer John Marsh, bought it from builder Samuel Merritt. Later owners included David Hewes, who donated one of the golden spikes used to celebrate the transcontinental railroad in 1869, and, from 1882 to 1903, the family of Josiah Stanford, brother of Leland Stanford. In 1907 it became Oakland's first museum.
The closure and the fire
The Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association says it cared for the house for 50 years. In August 2024, the city told the group its 20-year lease would not be renewed. Public access ended, and staff were laid off. In February 2026 the group secured a new lease with the city. Three weeks after announcing a reopening, on April 4, 2026, the house caught fire. The association says 25 Oakland firefighters kept the damage to less than 10% of the building, and the historic rooms and artifacts were untouched.
What's next
The group says it will be months before it can reopen the museum and host events, and that the house's future is uncertain without dedicated funding. It is asking for donations toward operating costs, rehiring staff and restarting programs, with a $100,000 goal.