Arriving in Berkeley from Massachusetts, Edward Brakenridge bought property that extended to Rose Street for this large Queen Anne-style residence, a stable, and a carriage house. Ira Boynton, like many late nineteenth-century East Bay builders who lacked formal architectural training, created vigorous, sturdy structures without refined ornamentation that followed a “carpenter esthetic.” Parts of the estate were subsequently sold, but Brakenridge family members resided in the house until 1924.

In 1936, the residence was converted and used as a health-related institution for elderly individuals. In 1971, Bonita House purchased the property and established the first rehabilitation facility of its kind in Alameda County for mental health care services.