About the Architect

Fredrick Confer was one of the outstanding architects to emerge in the San Francisco Bay Area in the period before World War Two.   He was best known for designing modern houses and public buildings.  In the early years of his career he actually lived on Wisteria Way and worked in Berkeley.  He designed quite a few homes in the East Bay and is renowned for such major works such as Eugene O’Neil’s “Tao House”, the Contra Costa Blue Cross Building, and the Haine’s Residence in Sausalito (1st place Award, 1937 House Beautiful).  Confer brought flair and vision to his work.

Frederick Confer’s most celebrated work, the “Tao House” in Danville , (finished two years after the Byers home), was built for Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O’Neil.  It is where the dramatist wrote his greatest plays, and has been designated a National Historical Landmark, celebrated for its style and beauty, as well as it’s extraordinary history.

Today, Frederick Confer is recognized for being a master architect.  The current and third owners of 110 Somerset Road have Mr. Confer’s architectural drawings of the home.