Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. near Los Gatos in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Alma College Library Foundation

Built 1949

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 1, 2024

1. Alma College Library Foundation Marker

Inscription. This is the foundation of the Jesuit’s second library, a massive concrete structure built to accommodate a growing collection of books. Midpen removed the building to recreate open views of the historical landscape setting along a narrow ridge surrounded by woodlands. An ornate plaster crest adorned the side of the library. Midpen salvaged the crest and returned it to the novitiate that still operated in Los Gatos.

Erected 2023 by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.

Location. 37° 10.941′ N, 122° 0.141′ W. Marker is near Los Gatos, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve.. It can be reached from Bear Creek Road south of Mellotts Road, on the left when traveling south. The resin marker is mounted to a metal post on the walking path through the former campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Los Gatos CA 95033, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Remnant of the Alma College Classroom (a few steps from this marker); The Marian Shrine (within shouting distance of this marker);

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Men Become Priests at Alma College (within shouting distance of this marker); Alma College Original Library (within shouting distance of this marker); Alma College Dormitory Foundations (within shouting distance of this marker); Millionaires transformed this place into a land of luxury (within shouting distance of this marker); From Rec Room to a Place of Prayer (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Alma College (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Gatos.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Alma College

Also see . . . Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

"Prevented from becoming a golf course and country club with luxury residences by a coalition of environmental activists, the land was far from pristine. It was extensively logged in the mid-1800s and briefly became a fish farm before being developed into a massive self-sufficient estate that passed between a couple of California's wealthiest families. The Catholic order of the Society of Jesus later repurposed
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, January 1, 2024

2. Alma College Library Foundation and Marker
the estate buildings to open Alma College, a theologate to train Jesuit priests."

(Submitted on March 18, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 191 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 18, 2024, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.