Ravenswood was built by Christopher A. Buckley Sr., known as the “Blind Boss” of San Francisco politics in the 1870s and 1880s. While it served as a summer home for the Buckley family from 1885 to 1920, it was also one of the larger early vineyards in the Livermore Valley, with 100 acres in grapes and winery production of 500,000 gallons per year. In 1931, the estate was acquired by a Catholic order, the Redemptorist Fathers. Called “Villa San Clemente” by the priests, Ravenswood served as their religious retreat for more than 30 years. In 1968, Ravenswood was purchased by developer Masud Mehran, who gave the core 32.6 acres to be used as a park. The 1891 Main House and 1885 Tank House were restored by LARPD in 1979. The 1885 Cottage was restored in 1986. Ravenswood is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a State of California Historical Point of Interest and is a City of Livermore Historic Preservation Landmark Site. Free public tours are given by costumed docents on the second and fourth Sundays of each month (except the fourth Sunday in December), from noon to 4 p.m. Two annual community events are held at Ravenswood: the Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social on the second Sunday in August and the Victorian Yuletide on the second Sunday in December.
