The Legend of the Witches Orchard in Brisbane Revealed

South San Francisco, CA   June 18, 2014

The ‘Witches Orchard’ offers some incredible views on the nearly 1.5 acres
Photo: MLS

After reading Andy Howse’s article ‘Adventure to the Legendary Crystal Cave of San Bruno Mountain‘ on Everything South City, Kristina Anderson  contacted him with another mystery to solve.  Kristina writes

‘Hey you seem to be pretty informative about local history. Is there any chance you know something about “Witches Orchard” on the top of Thomas Ave. in Brisbane also known as The Pretty Penny?

 

Will you let me know what you find out? I have my theories, like there’s a pigeon coup which I think might have been to run bets…and I can only imagine what it must have looked like in the 1930’s…with the stained glass windows and waterfalls! It must have been amazing! In the back by the cliff there is a strange “doorway” and I can’t figure out what it is or why it’s there (unless they used to hang people there and dump them off the cliff==morbid and strange, yes) but I have been trying for YEARS to figure it out.’

Andy, always eager for a good adventure, started asking around to quell his curiosity and that of Kristina’s.  ‘On Google it looks like an abandoned building, does anybody know the history?’ Andy said. ‘I’m starting to feel like Scooby-Doo.’

The Haunted House, built into the side of the cliff, provided a lot of mystery for local folks through the years.
Photo: Ron Davis Reatly

‘During World War II the Japanese were made prisoners of war in the United States, the American Japanese, and they lost property and their belongings.  And they were put into camps such as Tanforan.  At the top of Hillside Drive in Burlingame, on Hillside Circle, there’s a house, one at least that I know of, that has entrances to tunnels that led into the hill.  This is right below Hwy 280 so it is possible that they hid inside the mountain in Brisbane’ 

However that didn’t give us the  answers we were looking for and our search continued. We  were very  pleased when Dee Molina contacted us with some information. Dee is our Brisbane neighbor and Bay Area Realtor

The view from Brisbane looking towards the property Photo; Zillow

and has a great personal knowledge of her town. ‘I know the place you’re talking about’ she told us. ‘Let me make a few calls to be sure it’s OK to share some of the history.’  And true to her word, Dee responded with the mystery solved. And while the house may not have been haunted it has brought a lot of speculation to many for a long time.

I remember during the WWII years, plus, Betty Holt and her husband lived in that old place. Betty was a unique character, drove a big old car, wore a ratty fur coat, had blondish hair usually braided, was a private person and loved to read a lot of mysteries. She was a good library user and we used to chat when she came for more reading materials. I don’t remember seeing her husband, they both liked their privacy up there on the hill and would chase kids away. The rumor was that they were spies for the US government, the kids all loved that. I never asked her about that as I respected her privacy.

When Holt’s lived there the property was owned by Charles Colletti,  and it was willed to Lillian Fager upon his death. The Fagers came out from NY and their aunt Mamie took care of Colletti’s wife until she passed.’