Foskett & Elworthy

Frank William Foskett and Herbert Henry Elworthy each arrived in Concord separately after spending time at the Northville coal mines. Frank Foskett, from Massachusetts, came first. Having wed the Canadian-born Alice Louise Duncalf in Nortonville, they arrived in the early 1870’s. The Fosketts raised four children: Clifford John, Ethal Mary, Walter William and Raymond Albert in their prominent Galindo Street home (site now occupied by Bank of America Complex). Herbert Elworthy, born in England, educated and raised in Canada, arrived in the 1800’s. He married Ana Brawood, a county-native, after his arrival in Concord. They raised four sons: Herbert Jr., Paul, Mark and Keith. Their home at 2118 East Street (northeast corner with Pacheco Street) is Concord Historical Landmark 7-10-85/26. it currently is a residence for the Neuro-Care Cinic. Foskett and Elworthy first became partners in a distribution business. As they prospered, they acquired large tracts of dry farming and cattle-ranch land between Port Chicago-Clyde-Willow Pass Road; ultimately, some were sold off for early home sites. By 1911, the partners had formed the First National Bank of Concord. Foskett served as First President; Elworthy was Vice President, then President upon Foskett’s death. The Bank was housed in temporary quarters on the site of Concord’s first retail building (San Bacon’s general merchandise store, which included the Post Office and the Wells Fargo Express Agent, origianlly occupied this the northeast corner of Galindo and Salvio). The Foskett and Elworthy Corporation contracted with W.H. Weeks of San Francisco for design of a permanent buildng on the expanded site. Completed in 1912, the two-story, mission-style building was the first modern, stone-stucco structure in Concord. The original tenant at the primary corner position was their own First National Bank. Growing significantly, it was acquired by American Bank in 1924; then merged with American Trust Bank in 1927. Subsequent corner tenants have included a Pawn Shop and most recently the popular De Saulnier’s T.R.’s Dining Room. Some other early tenants of adjacent ground floor spaces have included: Walter Keller’s and Howard Brubeck’s(renown pianist, David Brubeck’s father) butcher shop, the Safeway Market and Jack Finney’s Shoe Shop – later the temporary location of Tony Accinelli’s Toggery. Upstairs facilities always have been occupied by the professional offices and apartments. In 1916, the building contained the newly expanded Concord library.