Words by Dylan Lanier
The Folger family may be best known for its popular brand of instant coffee, but it developed a more elegant kind of “grounds” in Woodside. In 1902, the eldest son of Folgers Coffee’s founder, James Folger II, purchased 1,500 acres in Woodside for a summer estate. He was one of many prosperous San Franciscans who built elaborate second homes on the lower Peninsula where they would spend summers enjoying the warm, sunny weather. While opulent mansions were abundant in those days, his remarkable horse stable set the Folger estate apart from the rest of the herd. Designed by Arthur French Brown Jr. in French baroque style, the original building featured 16 tie-stalls, a carriage room, living quarters—and some say it was even outfitted with chandeliers and a marble fireplace.
In 1955, the Folgers sold 940 acres to Martin and Muriel Wunderlich, who used the stable to board their horses until they donated the entire property to the County of San Mateo 19 years later, creating Wunderlich Park. While years of deferred maintenance took its toll, the down-on-its-luck stable got new life thanks to a $3.3 million renovation project in 2010. Now the Folger stable serves as a public boarding facility, and enthusiastic equestrians take their horses over to the riding ring or up along the surrounding trails, which are also popular with hikers. The main house is gone, but the stable, along with the carriage house, blacksmith barn, dairy house and stone walls, form the Folger Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. So fuel up with a cup of coffee and spend some time in a world of shiny saddles, stirrups and tree-lined trails, right off of Woodside Road.