Over the past 134 years of its life, 1724 Santa Clara Avenue [1] has worn many hats. It has been a private residence for multiple families, served as a private school in the 1920s, the home of the Boy Scouts in the 1950s through the 1970s, and then the home of Xanthos House (Alameda Family Services) from 1976 to 1982. But its most enduring role was yet to come.
[2]No place to go, nothing to do
In January of 1964, a group of Alameda women gathered to discuss the various issues facing girls. As retired pediatrician Dr. Edith Meyers said, the formation of a girls club was designed to solve the problem of girls having “no place to go and nothing to do,” especially in contrast to how many activities were geared towards boys. On April 28, 1964, the Alameda Girls Club was founded and incorporated by Alameda residents Meyers, Dr. Anne Bradfield, Thelma Dyke, Helen Hoeksema, Dorothy LeHew, Bea Rowney, Reverend Franklin Scott, Barbara Stevenson, and Kay Van Valkenburg. The purpose of the new nonprofit organization was to “foster the character development of all girls through a program of educational, vocational, health, social and recreational activities.”
Role models
The Meyers sisters—Edith, Mildred and Jeanette—were strongly committed to ensuring the success of the Alameda Girls Club from the very beginning. They held meetings and fundraisers at their home at 2021 Alameda Avenue (today’s Meyers House and Garden [3]), and with their careers in medicine, architecture, and business, they served as role models for girls. Daughters of noted architect Henry H. Meyers (1867-1943), the three sisters were active in their community throughout their lives, with Edith (1900-1971) being a pediatrician, Mildred (1898-1982) following in her father’s footsteps as an architect, and Jeanette (1905-1993) managing the family’s assets and properties.
[4]A move into the future
In September 1970, the Alameda Girls Club moved into the first home of its own at 1419 Union Street. Previously, the club had been using donated space in the First Congregational Church on Central Avenue at Chestnut Street. Although they couldn’t have known it at the time, the move to the Union Street house was a move into their future in more ways than one. Not only was it the first home of their own, it also sat adjacent to, and right around the corner from, their future home at 1724 Santa Clara Avenue—the Greenleaf House. In the meantime, the Girls Club home at 1419 Union Street was dedicated as the “Dr. Edith Meyers Center” in November 1971.
[5]Forever home
In 1982, with membership expanding and the need for more space at top of mind, the Girls Club purchased the 1724 Santa Clara Avenue property from the Alameda Boy Scout Council, and moved in in January 1983. The house that had previously been named in honor of Dr. William Barclay Stephens was then renamed the Dr. Edith Meyers Center, a name it holds to this day.
What made this move particularly fortuitous was that the Girls Club had been operating nearby for the previous 12 years at 1491 Union Street, not knowing that their future home on Santa Clara Avenue was there in plain sight all along, visible from their backyard right around the corner. When the time was right, the opportunity presented itself for them to expand into the large property that today is the home of Girls Incorporated of the Island City, the evolution of the original Alameda Girls Club. The new building provided twice the floor space of their previous location, and allowed for expanded programs and hours.
[6]Why a name change?
The Alameda Girls Club became Girls Inc. of the Island City in 1990 when the national Girls Clubs of America changed their name, and the local affiliates followed suit. It is thought that this new name was meant to differentiate from previous Boys and Girls Clubs, and would be very obvious in their focus on girls and their specific needs. Also, the term “Club” was perceived by some as suggesting a mostly recreational organization, whereas the new name looks to a more holistic development of a girl’s life, including education and careers—especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Finally, the organization wanted to focus on inspiring girls to be “Strong, Smart, and Bold” (the group’s motto), and promoting personal growth, academic achievement, and life skills. All in all, the new name was a rebranding and refreshing of the mission statement of a group that has been supporting and developing healthy and successful lives for girls since the first Girls Club was founded in Northern California in 1958.
[7]Strong, Smart, and Bold
Strong: So girls can try various sports and understand the importance of physical fitness, learn about nutrition and develop a healthy body image. Smart: So girls can study STEM subjects, along with learning about other cultures through geography, art, and food. Bold: To protect oneself against bullying by building positive relationship skills, learning to be aware of one’s surroundings, knowing self-defense, understanding the power of voting, and showcasing individual self-expression through arts and crafts, dance, and writing.
[8]A community service
I met with the CEO of Girls Inc. of the Island City, Dr. Jennifer Pigza, and learned that their organization served 800 girls this year, and a total of 1,500 children across all of their programs. Their programs include Alameda Island Kids, a co-ed after-school program in five elementary schools, something they’ve been doing for close to 30 years. Girls Inc. also runs day camps during school breaks, and those are open to both girls and boys. The summer camps are girls only.
A meeting with the CEO
Dr. Pigza has been with Girls Inc. for about two years now, and prior to that was with St. Mary’s College in Moraga for 19 years. Her Ph.D. is in Education Policy and Leadership. She oversees a staff of 40, including those who work at the Edith Meyers Center on Santa Clara Avenue, and those working in the five schools. In addition to lightheartedly describing her job as “herding cats,” Dr. Pigza said her role is to make sure that everyone else can do their jobs. “What that means on a practical level is a lot of community relationship building, fundraising, working with the leadership team, making sure everyone has the tools and resources they need to be successful, setting the vision, and working with the board of directors,” she said.
During my visit to Girls Inc., Dr. Pigza was generous with her time and provided me with a full tour of the historic Greenleaf House/Edith Meyers Center, including not only the circa 1891 Ernest Coxhead-designed main building, but also the ancillary buildings in the back area. As one descends the back stairs to the yard, there are two buildings to the right, and one straight back. To the immediate right is building B, which is divided between storage on one side and a classroom on the other. A little further back is building C, which is also a classroom. Finally, a large building at the back is known as the recreation center, and can serve multiple activities. In between all of these buildings is a large outdoor play area where girls participate in a variety of physical activities. As we toured the property, Dr. Pigza greeted girls by name, and asked about their lives and how they are doing with various activities—a clear sign that even though she has a lot of high-level management responsibilities, she also takes an interest in each girl individually.
[9]Girls Bill of Rights
As we toured building B, Dr. Pigza noticed me looking up at a sign on the wall, and later gave me a printed handout of it. It was the group’s Girl’s Bill of Rights, yet another of the positive, life-affirming and confidence-building messages the organization uses to inspire the girls. According to the statement, girls have a right to (1.) Be themselves and resist gender stereotypes; (2.) Express themselves with originality and enthusiasm; (3.) Take risks and strive freely, and take pride in success; (4.) Accept and appreciate their bodies; (5.) Have confidence in themselves and be safe in the world; and (6.) Prepare for interesting work and economic independence.
A lasting legacy
The Meyers sisters—Edith, Mildred, and Jeanette—would be proud that the Alameda Girls Club they helped to found so many years ago has grown and evolved into the Girls Inc. organization that today makes a positive impact on so many young lives. Between the after-school programs, the camps, and programs like Best Foot Forward (a public speaking and leadership program), GEMS (Girls Empowerment Mentoring Support), Eureka! (a teen program), and many more, there are ample opportunities for girls to always have “someplace to go and something to do,” to paraphrase the original intent of the founders.
A life of dedication
This story wouldn’t be complete without a word of thanks to the late Joyce Denyven (1928-2024), the longest tenured director of Girls Inc. of the Island City (formerly Alameda Girls Club), who served as Executive Director from 1971-1993. She was one of the founding members of the club, and served with Dr. Edith Meyers on the first planning committee meetings in 1964. During her long life of 96 years, Denyven not only served Girls Inc., but also was an Alameda School Board member, Alameda Boy Scout Council member, Alameda Girl Scout troop leader, Alameda Welfare Council Board member, and member of the AAUW (American Association of University Women). She was married to Dave Denyven for 76 years, had two daughters, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. For her life of service, Joyce Denyven is an example of a life well-lived—one that embodied the principles of Strong, Smart, and Bold.
[10]A house is not just a house
As we’ve seen in this story, and many others, a house is not just a house or a building. A house is a blank slate, a canvas, a container, on which a whole painting is made, a story is told, and a history written. 1724 Santa Clara Avenue may have started out as a single-family home, but over the decades it evolved into a place where countless young people have received an education (the Lona Hazard School), learned life skills (Boy Scouts, Alameda Girls Club, and Girls Inc.), and received mental health services and family support (Xanthos House and Alameda Family Services). As the home enters its 135th year at this spot on Santa Clara Avenue, the building that Ernest Coxhead designed in 1891 is still going strong, and is more vital than ever. It has a new paint job, a dedicated team, a large membership, and a mission that is more important than ever in today’s world.
Up next
As the story of 1724 Santa Clara Avenue, the Greenleaf House, continues, there’s still one more fascinating aspect to look into. After finishing this house, architect Ernest Coxhead received a commission to design a house for Napa businessman Edward S. Churchill, who had built his own Second Empire-style mansion in downtown Napa in 1889. Churchill had seen Coxhead’s work, including the house on Santa Clara Avenue, and he asked the architect to design a house just like it as a wedding present for his son, Edward Wilder Churchill. That house, today known as the Cedar Gables Inn, still stands in downtown Napa on Coombs Street, with the original house, the Churchill Manor, still standing right behind it and facing Brown Street. Once part of the same Churchill family property, the houses today are under separate ownership and are operating as inns.
When our story continues, we will take a field trip to Napa to visit the sister house of the Greenleaf House, and see how the same design has been adapted to yet another use. While both homes started out as single family residences, they have each evolved into very different uses, and it will be interesting to see how the evolution into an upscale Bed and Breakfast Inn has affected its state of preservation and historic integrity. We’ll also see if there are any significant design differences in the interior and exterior of the Cedar Gables Inn, as compared with the Greenleaf House. All of that, and more, when our story continues.
For more information on Girls Inc. of the Island City, please visit their website [11].
Some information for this article was gleaned from the Alameda Museum Quarterly, Fall 2014, article by Janet Thoma.
Contributing writer Steve Gorman has been a resident of Alameda since 2000, when he fell in love with the history and architecture of this unique town. Contact him via [email protected] [12]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Steve-Gorman [13].