The Victorian Preservation Center of Oakland (V.P.C.O.) is a non-profit organization that was created in 1989 to preserve and restore the Cohen Bray House. Ours is a small organization; 100% of your much-needed donations and membership dues help us realize our mission to conserve, maintain and restore this one-of-a-kind house and property. We also share its history with the public, historic preservation organizations and educational institutions. 
 This past year

 we commemorated the 140th anniversary of the house, and our activities are listed below.  Our mission puts into practice everyday maintenance and outreach projects that have been completed- thanks to you and your support.

Projects completed:

• Our #1 priority was raising $20,000 to fund our foundation project. 
  We have done that and hope to proceed with the work in 2025.
  This work will repair the failing sections of the original brick foundation. This will halt further damage to the plaster, original wall papers, fireplace tiles and window frames situated near the most damaged part in the wall between the parlor/library. Photos of the issue and the plans.

• Three thousand people a month are watching our social media posts and have learned about who we are and what we do.


• Researching and accumulating information to prioritize & to make repairs correctly, according to the guidelines set by the National Register of Historic Places. 


• Rebuilt the 30 most damaged wooden windows so far and adding U.V. protection to protect the collections and buildings from sun and water damage (61 windows to go).

• In Total-Our volunteers have logged 4,240 hours of work at the house in the past year. Which at $20 an hour comes to $84,800 in donated time. 

• We contribute much of our success to the time our volunteers have donated working at the house. We have had 18 volunteers working on our Collections and have cataloged 673 new items this year for a grand total of 4723 cataloged and documented items.  You can view some of them at hub.catalogit.app/131 .

• Several long -term cataloging projects were finished recently. A 92- page Insurance Inventory of everything lost from the Cohen Fernside Estate 1897 Fire has been transcribed and scanned. It will be shared with the public before the end of the year.  It provides a fascinating record of the burned contents of this 72- room mansion in the from 1862-1898s. 
  We have found extensive new (to us) information about Edgar Cohen’s photographs. Edgar was Alfred Henry's brother and was a gifted photographer many of his photos can be seen on our website under Fernside photos and can be found in the Monterrey County Archives.

• Pieces of the original wedding dress worn by Emma Bray were found in a box and assembled for display for the 140th anniversary celebration.

• These wedding dress pieces and half of our extensive collection of hand-work examples has been cataloged and properly stored. In January, never before seen personal artifacts and letters of Emma’s were discovered in a hidden drawer.

• Our archive collection of thousands of documents has new shelves, boxes and labels and is now much easier to access. 

• A volunteer Mara Melandry has been compiling a book of Emelita Cohen's memories.  It is about 120 pages long and has many photographs. It will be on sale in our gift shop.

• On display now are furniture and art pieces have been cleaned and preserved.

• In addition, our garden has flourished this year. On -going maintenance on 1/2 acre of land is a big job. We purchased and restored the pea gravel to recover the paths, which allow us more time to focus on maintaining the garden beds. We will be moving our compost bins to a new spot in the yard that will free up space in the garden for outdoor events.

• Physical donations have included:

• Period China to be used for our fundraising dinner to be held in January, 2025.

• New front hall curtains are being donated, which will allow us to keep the heat contained for winter events.  Period lighting was donated and installed in front hallway and kitchen -a huge improvement.

• A handicapped accessible lift that will allow disabled visitors the ability to enter the first floor from the back of the house. The worth of these contributions is immeasurable.

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• Fundraising Events Completed:

• We had a successful Mother’s Day tea & tour and sold out! 

• New-Butler V’s donated their services and promoted a new fundraiser for new younger clientele

• Three private tea parties were given for our members and their friends.

• New-We participated in the “Doors Open” -California Preservation Foundation by touring and providing a wooden window restoration workshop

• The local Oakland Heritage Alliance-did a Fruitvale neighborhoods walk and we offered a house tour. 

• We hosted a party for legacy givers from the Town and Gown Club and gained new members.

• Networking groups and resources made: 

• We made new contacts and shared resources with local organizations by giving private tours to the staff of Oakland History Center, and the Friends of Sausal Creek, who support historic watershed awareness.

• The first meeting of the Bay Area historic preservation societies took place at the house. We hope to assist and enable collaboration. 

• Gibbons family reunion #2. Was held in the garden and family memories were shared. (Gibbons was maiden name of Alfred Andrew Cohen's wife, Emelie).

• 140th anniversary party celebration on February 28, 2024. Over 40 members, friends and family attended.

• Memorial service for Douglas Schma, Grandson of Douglas Cohen ( one of the four children born in the house)

•  Restoration Work completed by our caretaker:

• Shelves built for archival material 

• 30 wooden windows restored or rebuilt out of 86 windows 

• Antique wavy glass installed to match ones that were broken or cracked

• Mounted new gutters on the back buildings

•  Build a new pad for the access lift.

• Security updated:

• New security camera system installed by Caretaker Mark and board member Miranda. Caretakers can now instantly see all around the property by using their phones.

• The first History lovers’ get-together was scheduled with a day of education and networking. It is important to help strengthen and learn from the old house community in the Bay Area.  By joining the forces of the Bay Area historical societies and Bay Area Historic House Museum groups, we will all gain momentum to continue this work and share resources.

• Please join us as a new member or donate to our efforts.

• Click on this link- support us and click on the membership link and input your data and preferences into the new system on our website.
  
  A heartfelt thank-you in advance for your membership and donation contributions to the Victorian Preservation Center of Oakland. You are helping this history survive into the future.