San José City Landmarks

The Ward Funeral Home at 93 Devine Street, built by George W. Lowery in 1867 continued to exist as his home for just over 40 years, before being bought by W.B. Ward and becoming a funeral home in 1909. Up until the late 1970s when the mortuary closed, it had been the oldest continuously operated mortuary in all of San José. An extra tidbit of information to celebrate Women's history month: Mrs. Mary Sheridan Ward, who worked in this building, was the first female undertaker on the West Coast!