574 Watson Street
1908 Shingle Style
This beautiful Monterey landmark home was built and occupied by members of the John Baptist Henry Cooper family until the 1940s. The imposing residence is in the Shingle style and has Colonial Revival elements with a formal façade facing Watson Street. The central two-story wing projects out form the building volume and is crowned by a large gable top that sets over a windows room of multiple single-hung windows with multi-pane uppers. The front door below is a couplet, and this entry room is also washing in light with multiple windows. A stable, now converted to apartments, is at the rear of the property.
John Baptist Henry Cooper was born in the old town of Monterey, California, September 22, 1830, and was one of the venerable and honored citizens of modern Monterey at the time of his death, on June 21, 1899. He was a son of John Baptist Rogers Cooper, who was born in the British Channel Islands and raised in Massachusetts in a maritime family. John B. R Cooper came to the Mexican territory of Alta California as master of the ship Rover, and was a pre-gold rush pioneer of Monterey, California when it was the capital of the territory. John B. R. Cooper married a sister of Governor Vallejo, one of the early and distinguished Spanish governors of California. Maria Encarnacion Vallejo Cooper was born March 24, 1809 and she was thirteen years of age at the time of her marriage. Capt. John B. R. Cooper was a half-brother of Thomas O. Larkin, who under the Mexican rule in California was the only consul to Monterey.
John Baptist Henry Cooper received his early education mainly in Honolulu, Hawaii, and upon returning to Monterey became associated with his father in the livestock industry on the Rancho El Sur, a ranch of 8,000 acres situated on the slopes of the Pacific Coast and traversed by the Pacific Coast Highway. Spanish Governor José Figueroa granted Rancho El Sur in 1834 to Juan Bautista Alvarado who later traded it to his uncle John B. R. Cooper in exchange for Rancho Bolsa del Potrero in the northern Salinas Valley.
John B. H. Cooper was associated with his father also in the ownership of 22,000 acres near King City, and there he was engaged actively in agricultural and livestock enterprise until the time of his death. He served nine years as county supervisor and was active in local politics, even as he was liberal and public-spirited as a citizen. After taking up his residence in San Francisco he continued to direct the affairs of his ranch estate.
John B. H. Cooper married Miss Martha Brawley on May 28, 1871. John B. H. Cooper inherited a portion of the Rancho El Sur upon the death of his father and built this beautiful and historic home on the heights overlooking Monterey Bay, in the City of Monterey, but died before he could move in. Martha Brawley Cooper survived him by almost 40 years and continued to live in the home for many years.
November 10, 1852 – May 23, 1940
September 22, 1830 – June 21, 1901
Martha Brawley Cooper was the daughter of John G. and Lucretia Brawley, the former of whom was born in Tennessee and the latter in Iowa, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they came to California in 1852, and numbered themselves among the pioneers of Amador County. After being engaged in mining operations in that county John G. Brawley removed to Monterey County, where he continued his ranching operations until his death, in 1871. His widow long survived him and was venerable in years at the time of her death, which occurred at Monterey, in 1926. John G. Brawley was a first cousin of Abraham Lincoln, and so close was their resemblance that they might have been brothers, the two having been associated in the splitting of rails and building of fences in Illinois when they were young men and their friendly relations having continued until the tragic death of the martyred president, whom Mr. Brawley survived about six years.
Following the death of John Baptist Henry Cooper his widow, Martha Cooper demonstrated marked ability in the management of the estate and in the ordering of other business affairs. She received 2,500 acres of the landed estate of 7,000 acres at the Little Sur, subsequently purchased the remainder of the property, and in 1928 sold the entire property at a good profit. She retains an interest in the Moro Cajo Ranch of 8,800 acres, between Monterey and Castroville, and this valuable tract was largely used in the propagation of lettuce and artichokes. She was interested in mining in Nevada, and was associated with Captain and Mrs. Mary M. Bishop in developing the very rich mine near the Fair property, this mine being a big paying concern and having no indebtedness. She was largely interested also in Sovereign Comet gold mine at Downieville, California, which was a paying gold property.
1n 1944, Nora White Kering, a teacher from Texas, visited the Cooper house on Watson Street in Monterey to view the Cooper house art collection that had been recommended to her. But she fell in love with the house, with its late Victorian elegance, its view of Monterey Bay to the hills beyond and its blending of fine craftsmanship and materials. She bought the house from the Cooper estate as a birthday present to herself. The house was bare of furniture when she purchased it and Mrs. Kering took several years filling it with pieces she thought best reflected the turn-of-the century era in which it was built.
- Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 49 – 50, Author: The Lewis Publishing Company
- Jim Carmichael, Herald Special Writer, “Landmark Gets Loving Care.”
Directions to the next house: Continue down Watson Street on the same side of the street you’ll find the Arthur J. Mason House at 524 Watson Street, #12 on the map below.
