Phleger Estate

[1] The park was acquired in 1991 by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) for $25 million and is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).

[2] When the Spanish arrived on the San Francisco Peninsula in 1769, the land from Belmont south to Redwood City, and from the Bay into the foothills including Woodside, Huddart Park and the Phleger Estate was occupied by the Lamchin local tribe of the Ohlone people.

The padres spoke of the Lamchin as possessing four villages, Cachanigtac, Guloisnistac, Oromstac and Supichon, but moved them to Mission San Francisco de Asís between 1784 and 1793 for Christianization.

[3] After secularization of the California missions, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted the 12,545-acre Rancho Cañada de Raymundo (5,077 ha) which now includes the Phleger Estate to John Coppinger in 1841.

According to Mexican government records of 1841, 100,000 board feet of wood were ready at the embarcadero near Mission Santa Clara for export to the Hawaiian Islands, presumably the source of this timber was Coppinger's Rancho.

The California Gold Rush, beginning in 1848 catalyzed logging operations to support the explosive growth of the city of San Francisco.

[3] The 8,000-square foot house, with a tiled mission revival style roof, was situated to permit views of both the second-growth redwoods and oak woodlands.

In 1937, Herman and Mary Elena Phleger (née Macondray) began acquiring this watershed property, that they referred to as "the home place" ultimately assembling an estate of 1,315 acres (532 ha).

Mary Elena Macondray Phleger was the granddaughter of prominent Peninsula family scion Faxon Dean Atherton and San Franciscan Frederick W.

In 1990 Mary Elena along with extended family began negotiating with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) to acquire the land, which was valued at $30 million.

Because the latter did not want the Phleger mansion, Audrey Rust convinced Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel Corporation and his wife Betty to purchase the home and 24 acres (9.7 ha) of what would become a conservation easement for $6 million.

On December 23, 1994, San Mateo Times staff writer, Marshall Wilson, reported: "Hikers and nature lovers can enjoy more than 1,200 acres (490 ha) of hills and canyons now that the Phleger Estate officially has been added to the National Park System, and quoted Audrey Rust as saying: "I feel this has been my life."