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Historic Charles Woodworth home—a Berkeley landmark—asks $1.99M

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Built in 1905, this house comes with detailed woodwork inside and out

By Brock Keeling
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Facade covered in cedar wood shingles, a clinker brick chimney sprouts from the roof.
This shingled home comes with four floors and a clinker brick chimney.
Photos by Open Homes Photography, courtesy of Red Oak Realty

With a facade bearing the Berkeley Brown Shingle style, this downtown Berkeley home was designed and built by its first owner, Charles Woodworth, noted professor of entomology and founder of the city’s First Baptist church and the first public library.

His home has elements of Bernard Maybeck’s style (who was a friend of Woodworth, according to Charles W. Woodworth: The Remarkable Life of UC’s First Entomologist), mimicking aspects of the noted architect’s Faculty Club at Cal.

Featuring six bedrooms, three bedrooms, 3,950 square feet, 2237 Carleton comes with a total of 14 rooms. Architectural details include cedar shingles, redwood siding, five built-in window seats, woven floor woodwork detail, clinker brick chimney, a double fireplace, and leaded glass. Built in 1905, it was designated a Berkeley landmark in 1993 and carefully renovated in 2015.

Porch covered in cedar shingles, a two-pan window with green fame sits to the left of the open wooden door. At right, there’s a sea green painted bench with two pillows.
This porch with built-in seating is downright adorable.
A redwood paneled covered foyer.
The detailed woodwork, including darker hues, continues once inside.

The most contemporary part of the four-story home is the top floor’s “Great Room,” punctuated by a massive skylight. The space, according to the realtor, is “large enough to host a house concert, a dance party, or a yoga class.”

And in accordance with Berkeley’s unofficial ordinance, the backyard tips its hat to the city’s gastronomic reputation with an organic garden, fruit trees, drought resistant grass, a chicken coop, and a storage shed.

Many notable guests have stayed here over the years, including the developer of Transcendental Meditation method, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Woodworth’s home also falls under the Mills Act, a state law that lets people buy historic properties and allows a reduction of property taxes provided said property is preserved.

Asking is $1,999,000, listed through Bill Fletcher of Red Oak Realty.

Wood paneled living room with fireplace.
Wood paneled living room with wood-burning fireplace.
Wood paneled dining room with built-in cabinetry, two windows, and a dining room table set.
A Tiffany ceiling lamp adds color to the warm woods found on the walls and built-in cabinetry.
Updated kitchen with white painted walls with lavender trim, and white cabinetry.
Lavender trim and wavy light fixtures add a whisper of whimsy to the renovated kitchen.
A massive skylight dominates this converted attic space with blond wood paneling and a red wood-burning fireplace. There are steps that lead to another room.
The “Great Room” comes with natural light and many levels.
Bedroom with vaulted ceilings and exposed wood beams.
A quiet bedroom with soaring ceilings.
Going up?
Rear view of this landmark home.

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