Peralta House
Also known as: Alta Mira Club House
Why it's listed
Built in 1860 at 561 Lafayette Avenue in San Leandro, this brick Italianate house was erected for Ygnacio Peralta, a son of Don Luis Peralta, whose land grant covered much of the East Bay. His son-in-law William P. Toler designed and built it in three months, using hand-made bricks hauled from the Alameda Slough Brickyard. It is described as the first and oldest brick home in Alameda County. The brick was stuccoed in 1875, when a wooden rear wing with an art gallery and dining room was added. The Alta Mira Club bought the house in 1926 to save it from demolition and added a Spanish Revival portico. The listing rests mainly on the interiors, where four of the six original rooms remain unaltered. They keep their French wallpapers from 1860, stenciling, gold-leaf mouldings, painted ceilings, redwood woodwork and Italian marble fireplaces. The house also served as a social center for the area.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the first and oldest brick home in Alameda County. It rests mainly on the exceptionally intact period interiors, including French wallpapers, gold-leaf mouldings, painted ceilings and imported marble fireplaces. It is also tied to the Peralta family, whose land grant covered much of the East Bay.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000654, listed November 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 561 Lafayette Ave., San Leandro |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | November 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000654 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William P. Toler (Toller), son-in-law of Ygnacio Peralta, architect and builder |
| Architectural style | Italianate, with a later Spanish Colonial Revival portico |
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; owned by the Alta Mira Club, which uses it as a clubhouse. The club bought it in 1926 to save it from demolition. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 37.73115, -122.16233 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000654.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7166899
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.