Joseph Eichler earned a degree in business from New York University. After World War II, Eichler and his wife Lillian moved to California and rented the Bazett House in Hillsdale which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Eichler was inspired by his experience in Wright's Usonian house; this was likely the motivating factor driving him to become a real estate developer. Suburban tract housing was spreading across the United states, and Eichler's designs revolutionized the movement. Eichler’s signature home unified indoor and the outdoor environments. Modern technology of the mid-century era provided features unlike anything else homebuyers had ever seen. Eichler’s primary goal was to design homes for the working middle class. Eichler offered his homes without discrimination to homebuyers of any religion or race — a concept unheard of among developers in segregated, post-war America.
Eichler built subdivisions throughout northern and southern California. Here in San Jose, there are four groupings of homes. Eichler projects can be found in San Francisco, Marin County, and along the Peninsula inclluding San Mateo, Palo Alto, Cupertino. Eichler homes can be found in the East Bay and as far east as Sacramento.
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Last updated 7/31/18