Throughout Pleasanton downtown, murals decorate various buildings, brightening the atmosphere and serving as a vital connection to the past of this historic neighborhood.
Right in front of the Museum on Main is the Pleasanton Pioneer Founders Mural, painted by Livermore Master Artist, Barbara Stenton. The mural features historical figures that lived in the local area like Phoebe Hearst.
“I’ve been in Pleasanton since 1958, and all of those names are people that I recognize either from early history or from a bit more recently. What [I] noticed was that almost every one of those names has a street name in town named after them,” said Pleasanton resident Diane Elliott.
The mural highlights Pleasanton’s history as one of the largest of roses. From Joshua Ayers Neal to Cornelius Nevin, each person in the picture is depicted with a rose, in their hand or attached to their clothes.
“It’s just a great mural, but I think as you look at it, it becomes so much deeper. It’s kind of like reading a book. The more you look at it, the more meaning comes out of it,” said Aayan Rizvi (‘24).
Another mural rests at the intersection between Main St. and Saint Mary St. Painted by Gary A. Winter, this mural features sprawling farmland nested between bright hills. It is part of Winter’s mission to portray rural beauty.
Additionally, a mural at the corner of Peters Ave and Rose Ave offers a glimpse at Pleasanton’s past with the old train station built in the 1880s. This depot connects the rest of the United States to west coast cities.
The downtown murals are all a reminder of the past and a preservation of Pleasanton’s long history.
“These murals are important ways to kind of represent our history and keep it alive. Because the best way to go forward is to know where we came from,” said Rizvi. “It represents what Pleasanton was, and it still is.”
