{"nrhp_refnum":"12000127","name":"Howard-Ralston Eucalyptus Tree Rows","other_names":["El Camino Real Trees"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"El Camino Real, CA 82","address_restricted":false,"city":"Burlingame","county":"San Mateo County","state":"CA","lat":37.58420167150004,"lon":-122.36468038182771,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-03-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Landscape Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A landscape site of two rows of eucalyptus and elm trees flanking El Camino Real (State Route 82) through Burlingame and Hillsborough, San Mateo County, California. The rows were planted between 1873 and 1876 to a design by landscape gardener John McLaren.","why_significant":"The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for the trees' link to the founding and development of Burlingame and Hillsborough, and their influence on Burlingame's early tree-protection and zoning laws. Under Criterion C, it presents them as an excellent example of McLaren's early roadway beautification work, predating the state's highway tree planting program.","narrative":"Two rows of tall eucalyptus and elm trees line El Camino Real through Burlingame and Hillsborough in San Mateo County. Landscape gardener John McLaren planted them between 1873 and 1876 for landowners George H. Howard and William C. Ralston. They were meant to shelter the road from wind and create a grand approach to the estates and to land being subdivided. The original planting once ran about four miles; the surviving stretch is 2.2 miles and holds 557 trees, 356 of them contributing. Most contributing trees are mature blue and manna gums, joined by older elms and newly planted disease-tolerant elms that follow McLaren's plan. The trees shaped Burlingame's early ordinances, including tree-protection rules and a 1930 election that barred commercial development along the highway. The rows are also recognized as a surviving example of McLaren's roadway beautification, which predates California's state highway tree planting program of 1921.","period_of_significance":"1873-1930","architect_builder":"McLaren, John - landscape architect","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The resource is now 2.2 miles long with 557 trees, of which 356 are contributing. Caltrans, Burlingame and Cal Fire have replanted disease-tolerant elms since 2006.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.497873-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/12000127.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000127/c5785c7a3e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000127/c5785c7a3e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"LPS.1","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard-Ralston_Eucalyptus_Tree_Rows.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">LPS.1</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard-Ralston_Eucalyptus_Tree_Rows.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861518","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q78541950"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-mateo-county/howard-ralston-eucalyptus-tree-rows-12000127/"}