[2][3] Charles C. Holbrook (1830–1926) was a successful wholesale hardware and mining supply store owner in San Francisco, he created the grand rural estate of Elmwood in the late 19th century.

[2] Beginning in 1883, the Holbrook family would summer in the house together and occasionally visit on the weekends during the slower seasons.

[4] When Olive died in March of 1958, the couple did not have heirs; she willed the estate to the city of Atherton for recreational purposes.

[2] The water tower is three stories tall and is built with lumber, featuring an ornamental balcony and a French mansard roof.

[4] The carriage house features a hip and gable roof with asphalt shingles and redwood siding.