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Market Place
Office project is preserving fruit cocktail for posterity
Union Ave. bungalow was the first home of Ernest S. Barron
By Michelle C. Crowe
Remember fruit cocktail, those cans of aromatic pears, peaches and grapes in a thick bath of syrup that provoked sibling fights over the rare cherry halves? Well, a little piece of that sweetness is still intact in Campbell.
Alert foodies cruising into the Togo's Eatery at Campbell and Union avenues may have already noticed construction on a Craftsman-style building and sister structure behind the restaurant, but not its history.
Built in 1917, the California bungalow at 20 Union Ave. was the first home of Ernest S. Barron, who became the sales manager for Ainsley Packing Company. In 1924, he and partner Herbert Grey formed what later became the Dole Canning Co. Grey claimed to have developed the fruit cocktail in 1926, one year after Barron's death.
As with many Campbell properties, it changed to meet the growing needs of occupants and their businesses, which included the Pine Gable Guest Home (a nursing care facility), and now, Hoskins Quilicy Engineers.
"Originally we hoped to restore the original structure," says owner Joe Quilicy. Extensive dry rot and termite damage mandated replication instead for both 20 and 30 Union Avenue.
"He's put a lot of money and effort into recreating the quality and detail of the project so far," says Campbell Community Development Director Sharon Fierro. "That includes replacing existing siding with accurately sized redwood, salvaging windows and trim materials and even husbanding new wisteria from the plants that grew on the old building."
Upon completion in September 2001, Quilicy and his company plan to occupy a portion of the new 6,700-square-foot building at 30 Union Ave. He'll lease out the remaining space, as well as the 2,000-square-foot Barron House at 20 Union Ave. (both also include large basements for storage).
Agricultural historians will be happy to note that the two cedar trees in front were family Christmas trees planted in 1931 and 1938, and that the walnut tree in back was from the original orchard.
Got a local business tip? We'd love to hear it. Call us at 408.364.2640 ext. 200 or email campbellreporter@svcn.com.
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Campbell, California
