After a 1906 earthquake along the western coast , about 15,000 residents from San Francisco decided to move East . Commuter rail had made it possible to now inhabit the countryside and Duncan McDuffie and Joseph Mason took full advantage of this . Under Mason-McDuffie Co. , they purchased 700 acres for a subdivision that would eventually be known as Berkeley . Garden suburbs and the Beaux Arts style were prominent influences for this new area . At one point , the local Chamber of Commerce even proposed that Berkeley be named the state capital . This idea influenced lots of the design , bringing lots of stone and classical elements to the town
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Northbrae, Berkeley, California