1431 Arch

This is one of the older houses in Berkeley. I used to imagine it was proof that the houses near it would survive the next big Hayward fault quake, but the last big one predates it. There's an apartment building on Berryman with a witch's hat. It's an usual motif for 19th-century houses here. Is it a pattern house? It looks too eclectic, like the original owner went to town, marrying a more conventional Victorian facade (right) with something more flamboyant (left). (Note the turret dormers and fretwork above the front porch.) The house is on a steep site, with a lot of stairs to reach the first floor. Nearby houses open to the side or set their front steps sideways so the path to the front door takes most of uphill rise; 1431 opts for a grander approach.