History

Although now part of Wunderlich Park in Woodside, the Folger Stable and the 942 surrounding acres were originally part of a 12,000-acre land grant in the 1840s made to John Coppinger, an Irishman and one of the first non-hispanic Europeans to live on the peninsula.

After several divisions of the property, 1500 acres were sold to Simon Jones in 1872. Under the name of Hazelwood Farm, he grazed cattle, raised horses, and planted fruit tees and large vineyards. One building erected by Jones still exists on the property, the "cold house", situated close to the creek near the main road into Wunderlich Park.

J.A. Folger worked in San Francisco for the Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, which he bought in 1872, renaming it J. A. Folger & Co. When he died in 1889, the business was taken over by James A. Folger II, the builder of the estate and stable in Woodside. Around 1904, Folger Jr. commissioned Arthur Brown Jr., in partnership with Henry Schulze, to design his estate and stables in Woodside. By 1920 they began using the estate as a warm, country escape from the legendary cold and foggy summers in San Francisco.

After James' death in 1921, Peter Folger took over the business, which became a major roaster and seller of coffee throughout the nation. In 1955, Peter Folger bought the house and 30 acres from his siblings. His son, Peter II, is now an attorney in San Francisco, and on the Honorary Advisory Committee for the restoration of the Folger Stable.

In 1956, Peter Folger sold the stables and 942 acres of land to Martin Wunderlich, retaining the mansion in the Folger family. It was eventually sold and still remains in private ownership. Martin Wunderlich donated the stables and surrounding land to the County of San Mateo in 1974. Folger Coffee was bought by Procter and Gamble in 1963.

The Historic District Walking Tour

The Folger Stable and the adjacent buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in April of 2004. The protected structures in the Historic District include:

• the main stable building
• the carriage house
• the stone walls lining the roads on the grounds
• the blacksmith barn
• the dairy house

As you walk through the area, you will be transported into another time. The main stable is an architectural treasure representing a golden age gone by. It is one of the last remaining structures from the Great Estates period over a century ago.