11 Glen Alpine Road

Set well back from the street on a gently rolling hillside, 11 Glen Alpine Road is one of the great estates of the East Bay. Built in 1929 for inventor Ernest J. Sweetland and designed by architect Frederick H. Reimers, this English Tudor and French Gothic residence features exterior walls of Bath stone imported from England and a distinctive purple Pennsylvania slate roof. Carved oak entry doors open to a marble vestibule with a domed gold-leaf ceiling and an extraordinary oak-paneled great hall stretching approximately 60 feet, where a sweeping staircase rises beneath a two-story leaded-glass window. The main floor features a magnificent 42-by-23-foot living room with a 15-foot beamed ceiling and dramatic seven-foot fireplace, a Gothic-windowed conservatory, an oak-paneled library, a striking octagonal dining room, and a tiled kitchen with serving and pastry pantries, a home office, and a sun-filled hexagonal breakfast room. The bedroom level offers eight bedrooms, including a primary suite with two dressing rooms, two baths, a study, and two fireplaces, as well as the charming log cabin suite lined in Oregon pine. An expansive third floor provides versatile space for recreation, work, or additional living areas. The daylit lower level is highlighted by a grand ballroom with maple floors, a stage, and a commercial kitchen. Set on 1.79 acres, the private grounds encompass a swimming pool and spa, pool house, and tennis court, while a winding driveway leads to a five-car garage. Nearly a century after its construction, 11 Glen Alpine Road remains an extraordinary testament to the artistry, craftsmanship, and architectural ambition of its era.