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What if Muir Woods instead was named Kent Woods?
Marin history and our Zillow listing of the week
Marin Buzz
July 14, 2025
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William Kent’s name lives on due to the 3-square-mile unincorporated town of Kentfield. But did you know that Marin’s claim to fame, Muir Woods, could have been named after Kent instead?
William was a conversationalist and politician, including member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California from 1911 to 1917. It was during this time that he was instrumental in establishing the National Park Service.
In 1915, Kent hosted 30 congressmen and their wives on Mt. Tam. They were served lunch under the same redwoods we enjoy today at Muir Woods, and that helped secure the votes for passage of the National Park Service Act.
The government protection of the land was only one part of it though. Even before that, William Kent reached into his own pocket to save Muir Woods. He came from Chicago meatpacking money and in 1905 paid $45k ($1.6M in today’s dollars) to purchase 611 acres, which saved it from logging.
Kent later not only donated this land to the United States, but also requested the park be named after his friend, naturalist John Muir. What a great guy!
Fun fact about Kentfield: it gets a ton of rain! 44-48 inches per year, compared to 20-24 inches a couple of miles away in Greenbrae. This is due to a “topography‑driven micro‑climate created by Mt. Tam. Kentfield sits on the first upslope where winter storms meet, so the moist air has to rise and cool right overhead, wringing out a lot of rain.” Guess I won’t be moving to Kentfield any time soon…
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 Cozy home walking distance to Larkspur $1.1M |
What if you want a walkable location, don’t need much space, but don’t want an apartment or condo? Are you ready to downsize?
Downtown Larkspur is perhaps my favorite spot in Marin to be walking distance to. Here is a 914 sq ft home, built in 2017, that is nestled between bigger homes, but still with some open outdoor space.
It’s listed at $1.15M, but has been posted for a month, so let’s consider it $1.1M. No updates needed (although I wish they chose a different kitchen cabinet color).
Check it out:
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