Jarboe sold his house to blacksmith James McWilliams. Today the McWilliams House is one of Saratoga's oldest structures and recognized as a historic landmark.

It is the job of the Saratoga Heritage Preservation Commission to preserve and protect such historical landmarks, some dating back to the pioneer days when Civil War tensions ran high and rowdy lumberjacks filled Saratoga's saloons.

In more recent Saratoga history, on Aug. 10 the city council appointed Ernie Brookfield to the Heritage Preservation Commission. Brookfield, a semi-retired electrical engineer and resident of Saratoga since1974, fills a vacancy left after Sandra Dodge resigned due to time constraints from a new job.

"Ernie is a great addition to our commission," Heritage Preservation Commission chairman Paul Conrado said. "He's a longtime Saratogan who cares about Saratoga."

The function of the Heritage Preservation Commission is to work in conjunction with the council, the planning commission and other agencies and departments to implement the city's Heritage Preservation Ordinance. The Heritage Preservation Commission performs property surveys to establish an inventory of heritage resources and recommends proposals to the city council for the designation of historic landmarks, heritage lanes and historic districts. One member of the commission is nominated by the Saratoga Historical Foundation and two members must be trained and experienced in the field of construction and structural rehabilitation with backgrounds as licensed architects, engineers, contractors or urban planners.

Heritage Preservation Commissioner Phylis Ballingall said the commission reviews properties regularly and decides if they meet certain criteria. Architectural style, the architect who built and designed the property, and people of historical significance who lived at or did something noteworthy at a site are some of the criteria considered.

Ballingall said the commission makes a recommendation to the city council and, if it is approved, the property owners are required to maintain the site's historic ambience.

"Saratoga itself was declared a state landmark," Ballingall said. "A lot of towns sprung up along El Camino Real and all over California but were never really villages. Saratoga is unique because it started out as a village and is still a village." This uniqueness was enough for Saratoga to be named California State Landmark Number 435, she said.

One of the city's oldest landmarks, the Springer House on Wildwood Way, dates back to circa 1851. The Hakone Gardens, founded in 1917, are a popular site for visitors and also served as a backdrop for the upcoming movie Memoirs of a Geisha, scheduled for release Dec 9. The Heritage Preservation Commission ensures that locations such as these are protected against demolition and that any changes or renovations won't detract from their historic character.

Brookfield said he hopes to assist the commission mainly in the determination of retaining historical sites for future generations. "I'm looking forward to providing a benefit to other members on the commission and achieving the goals that it's chartered to do," he said.

Brookfield has experience with Saratoga commissions, having served on the finance commission from 1999 to 2003. He said sometimes issues got a little sensitive on the finance commission and that he's looking forward to the less political environment of his new appointment.

"Ernie's a very level-headed guy," Conrado said. "He's an engineer. He can look at the issues and make practical and informed decisions."

Brookfield will join Bob Louden, Beth Wyman, Ballingall, Tom Lowdermilk, Patricia Bailey and chairman Conrado on the commission. Brookfield's term expires April 1, 2006.