Overfelt Gardens, San Jose, CA

Overfelt House and Tank House.  Photo by Thomas Eddy

The potential of place.  Overfelt House is set within the original estate formerly owned by Mildred Overfelt.  The only posted hours are on Saturdays, however even then the house is closed due to municipal budget cuts.  I have been fortunate to see the inside, which has a few interpretive signs, random furnishings from other old homes, and a scaled model of the park.  

This simple farmhouse was moved from its original site on the property, then rehabilitated in 2005.  The 33-acre site suffers from severe drought conditions and limited maintenance, but the "bones" are still there and ready for a major upgrade.  The site operates as a passive park by the City of San Jose, has ponds managed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and is partly in use as a Chinese Cultural Garden.