Kolb House at Heritage Park

While at Dublin Heritage Park and Museums, be sure to take the tour of Kolb House. The Craftsman style bungalow was built across the freeway for George Kolb in 1911, and later moved to Heritage Park to start its new role as a museum.

Kolb House from the front entrance

The Kolbs migrated from Münsterappel Germany in 1880, spent a few years in Philadelphia, and ended up in Pleasanton, California in 1884. George Kolb purchased the Dublin general store, married Wilhelmina Hartung, and together started their family. Kolb purchased 200 acres of land, built the house in 1911, and the family moved in.

Calla lilies edge the front of the house

Back entry, with the Challenge Dairy headquarters across the street

The craftsman style bungalow worked well as a farmhouse, with its wide overhanging eaves to protect from the hot sun, and wrap-around porches for gathering, extra workspace, or catching a breeze. A kitchen garden outside provided vegetables (with a lot of effort to keep the deer, moles, and birds away).

Raised bed kitchen garden, now planted by visiting school children

Kenmore washer in the laundry porch

I especially appreciated the laundry porch and adjoining kitchen. The Kenmore roller washing machine would have been a time saver (Mom used one of these in Hollis, Alaska, the logging camp where Dad spent several months of the year researching for the Forest Service early in his career). The cooler kept fruits and vegetables cool with air from under the house (Grandpa Bob built a cooler for Grandma Char in their Southern California bungalow).

The cooler

The house is furnished with the family's furniture and artifacts, giving it a feeling of authenticity. Many on the tour commented "my grandma had that" or "my great-aunt used one of those". For us, it was a journey down memory lane.

The range

Pastry station , with flour bin

For school age children, it would be a source of wonder - "how could they only have one bathroom, and why was by the back door?" and "how can they charge the computer without any wall plugs?". No matter what your age, you're sure to enjoy a tour of Kolb House.

Original location of the Kolb House, across the orchard from "downtown Dublin"