Los Altos History Museum highlights more than just the centennial of Hidden Villa this year in the exhibition “Rooted in Time: Journey through Hidden Villa,” on display in the museum’s main gallery Oct. 3, 2024 through March 9, 2025.
“So many residents are already familiar with this local gem, but we wanted to dig deeper into the history of the property, the people, places and stories that together have made this place special,” said guest curator Julie Bly DeVere. “This exhibit pulls together its history through photographs, paintings, objects and so many amazing stories.”
In 1923, Josephine and Frank Duveneck were on their way home from one of their local excursions. On a chance, they took a new route via Moody Road and happened to find the entrance to a green valley they had seen many times before from the heights of Page Mill Road. Josephine later wrote, “We drove by a green iron gate which was slung between tall redwood posts and surmounted by white metal flags, … labeled ‘Hidden Villa,’ and a sign on the gate announced the sale of 1,000 acres for clearance of the mortgage.” Not only would they buy the property, but they would adapt it to their needs and causes.
“We wanted to use the features and structures throughout the property to help tell a wide variety of stories that highlight not only how the Duvenecks used the land, but how other early figures and groups left their mark,” Bly DeVere said. “Some of those stories will make you laugh, like the runaway bride waiting for the stage coach to take her to her lover in Pescadero, while others highlight our shared histories around the Japanese-American concentration camps, refugees fleeing World War II, and the labor rights movements of farm workers.”
The Duvenecks’ vision of social justice led them to share their land, time and energy with a number of causes throughout their lives. Frank and Josephine Duveneck established the Hidden Villa Trust in 1960 to carry on their ambitious mission. They left 1,600 acres under the care of their newly formed nonprofit.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit losaltoshistory.org/RootedInTime.
