Atkinson House (San Francisco, California)

Last updated
Atkinson House
Atkinson House 2019.jpg
Atkinson House in 2019
Location1032 Broadway, San Francisco, California, U.S.
Built1853;170 years ago (1853)
Restored by Willis Polk (1900)
Architect William H. Ranlett
Architectural style(s) Italianate
DesignatedJuly 17, 1977
Reference no.97

The Atkinson House is a historic house built in 1853, and located in the Russian Hill area of San Francisco, California. [1] It is one of the oldest residences in the city still standing (tied with the Tanforan Cottages), and possibly one of the first Italianate-style homes in the city. [2] It is also known as the Katherine Atkinson House, and Atkinson-Escher House. [1] [3]

Contents

The Atkinson House has been listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark since July 17, 1977. [4] This building is part of the Vallejo Street Crest Historic District, which is listed as one of the National Register of Historic Places since January 22, 1988. [5]

History

Atkinson House (towards the middle of image) after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, on the Vallejo Street Crest Vallejo Street Crest in Russian Hill, 1906 after the earthquake.png
Atkinson House (towards the middle of image) after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, on the Vallejo Street Crest

The Atkinson House is two-stories tall and located at 1032 Broadway in San Francisco, California. [6] The house was walking distance to the Yerba Buena Cove, and was located on the top of a hill that originally had access via a zig-zagged foot path. [4] A natural spring was located on the property, which had encouraged the growth of ferns and plants. [4]

It was built in 1853 for Joseph H. Atkinson and his family; he was a brick contractor and a partial owner of the Lone Mountain Cemetery. [7] The presumed architect of the Atkinson House is William H. Ranlett (or his architecture firm "Homer, Ranlett and Morrison"). [8] [9] Between 1853 and 1854, a partnership formed between Joseph H. Atkinson (brick contractor), Charles Homer (a general contractor on projects such as ), and William H. Ranlett (an architect) in order to design and build their own three houses in the area now known as the Vallejo Street Crest Historic District in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. [10] [9] The Atkinson and Ranlett houses may have been the first Italianate-style homes in San Francisco. [10]

Katherine "Kate" M. Atkinson (1845—1920), the daughter of Joseph, had inherited the house. [4] She was an artist and the cousin of Gelett Burgess; around the 1890s the house was used as a meeting place for artists and bohemians (such as the 'Les Jeunes' group), and the site of occult practices and seances. [3] [11] [7] In 1900, the home was remodeled by architect Willis Polk, of the firm Polk and Polk. [4] [3] During the Polk remodel, an iron fence with gate was added to the home. [7] It survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. [11] At some point the exterior of the house was modified with stucco.

The residence remained in the Atkinson family until 1916, [4] and it changed owners many times over the years. In 1931, the house had a fire in the upper floor and it was remodeled by designer Bruce Porter. [4]

In 2015, the house was for sale, asking price US$12 million; it was 3890 square feet and featured four bedrooms and four and half bathrooms. [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Exchange</span> Defunct regional stock exchange in California, US (1956–2006)

The Pacific Exchange was a regional stock exchange in California, from 1956 to 2006. Its main exchange floor and building were in San Francisco, California, with a branch building in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Hill, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood in San Francisco

Russian Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It is named after one of San Francisco's 44 hills, and one of its original "Seven Hills".

Albert L. Farr was an American residential architect who designed homes in the Craftsman and Georgian styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William H. Copeland House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The William H. Copeland House is a home located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. In 1909 the home underwent a remodeling designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The original Italianate home was built in the 1870s. Dr. William H. Copeland commissioned Wright for the remodel and Wright's original vision of the project proposed a three-story Prairie house. That version was rejected and the result was the more subdued, less severely Prairie, William H. Copeland House. On the exterior the most significant alteration by Wright was the addition of a low-pitched hip roof. The house has been listed as a contributing property to a U.S. Registered Historic District since 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reid & Reid</span> American architectural firm

Reid & Reid, also known as Reid Brothers, was an American architectural and engineering firm that was active from 1880 to 1932. Established in Indiana by Canadian immigrants, the firm moved to the West Coast and became was the most prominent firm in San Francisco, California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

William H. RanlettSr. was an American architect and author. He moved from the East Coast to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush and is thought to have brought Italianate-style architecture with him to the city. He was a partner in the architecture firm, "Homer, Ranlett and Morrison".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Giles (architect)</span> American architect

Alfred Giles was a British architect who emigrated to the United States in 1873 at the age of 20. Many of the private homes and public buildings designed by Giles are on the National Register of Historic Places and have been designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. Based in San Antonio, his buildings can be found predominantly in south Texas and northern Mexico. Giles is credited with "a profound influence on architecture in San Antonio."

Francis W. Wilson was an American architect. His practice in Santa Barbara, California included work for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and its associated Fred Harvey Company hotels, as well as many residences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker and Hamilton Building</span> United States historic place

The Baker and Hamilton Building, also known as Pacific Hardware and Steel Company Building and Baker, Hamilton and Pacific Company, is a historic office building and former commercial building built in 1905, and located in South of Market at 601 Townsend Street in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whittier Mansion</span> Historic house in California, United States

Whittier Mansion is a historic building at 2090 Jackson Street in San Francisco, California, US. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a San Francisco Designated Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Henry Jacobs</span> American architect

Alfred Henry Jacobs was an American architect. He designed theaters, hotels, residential, and religious buildings, primarily working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Three of the buildings he designed are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He also worked as a watercolorist.

Percy & Hamilton was an architectural firm in San Francisco, California during 1880 to 1899.

Samuel Newsom was a Canadian-born American architect. Together with his brother Joseph Cather Newsom founded the architecture firm Newsom and Newsom, practicing in Northern and Southern California. Their most celebrated house is the Carson Mansion in Eureka, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bourn Mansion</span> Historic house in San Francisco

Bourn Mansion is a historic home built in 1896, and located at 2550 Webster Street in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burr Mansion (San Francisco, California)</span> Historic home in San Francisco, built in 1875

Burr Mansion, or Burr House, is a historic house built in 1875, and is located at 1772 Vallejo Street in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It was commissioned by Ephraim Willard Burr, the 8th mayor of San Francisco, for his son upon his marriage engagement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fugazi Bank Building</span> 1909 historic building in San Francisco

The Fugazi Bank Building, also known as the Fugazi Banca Popolare Operaia Italiana Building, and Old Transamerica Building, is a historic commercial building built in 1909, and located at 4 Columbus Avenue in the Jackson Square Historic District of San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo Building</span> Historic building in San Francisco, California

The Colombo Building, also known as the Drexler Building or Drexler-Colombo Building, is a historic commercial building built in 1913, and is located at 1–21 Columbus Avenue in the Jackson Square Historic District in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallon Building</span> Historic building in San Francisco

The Fallon Building, also known as the Carmel Fallon Building, is a historic mixed-use building built in 1894 and located in the Castro District of San Francisco, California. It is the home of the San Francisco LGBT Center since 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Hill-Vallejo Street Crest District</span> United States historic place

Russian Hill-Vallejo Street Crest District is a 4-acre (1.6 ha) historic district in Russian Hill, San Francisco, California, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 22, 1988, for the people, events and architecture. The area is a residential enclave defined by retaining walls and natural bluff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Hill-Paris Block Architectural District</span> United States historic place

The Russian Hill-Paris Block Architectural District is a 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) historic district located in the Russian Hill area of San Francisco, California, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1988, for architecture. The area is a residential enclave.

References

  1. 1 2 Le, Anh-Minh (2015-02-11). "Roth Martin's Artful Take on an Italianate Landmark". Cottages & Gardens. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  2. ↑ "Atkinson-Escher House (1853)". 7x7 Bay Area. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  3. 1 2 3 Longstreth, Richard W. (1998-05-18). On the Edge of the World: Four Architects in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century. University of California Press. pp. 125–126, 267–268. ISBN   978-0-520-21415-6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "San Francisco Landmark #97: Atkinson-Escher House". noehill.com. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  5. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Russian Hill--Vallejo Street Crest District". National Park Service . Retrieved November 29, 2022. With accompanying pictures
  6. ↑ San Francisco in the 1930s: The WPA Guide to the City by the Bay. Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration. University of California Press. 2011-04-05. p. 258. ISBN   978-0-520-94887-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. 1 2 3 Richards, Rand (2002). Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past. Heritage House Publishers. pp. 354–355. ISBN   978-1-879367-03-6.
  8. ↑ Michelson, Alan. "William Ranlett". Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD). Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  9. 1 2 "Early Residents". Russian Hill Neighbors (RHN). Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  10. 1 2 Wiley, Peter Booth (2000-09-26). National Trust Guide / San Francisco: America's Guide for Architecture and History Travelers. John Wiley & Sons. p. 254. ISBN   978-0-471-19120-9.
  11. 1 2 Michelson, Alan. "Atkinson, Joseph, House, Russian Hill, San Francisco, CA". Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD). Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  12. ↑ Elsen, Tracy (2014-09-19). "Historic 19th-Century Italianate Villa in Russian Hill Asks $12M". Curbed SF. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  13. ↑ Keeling, Brock (2017-05-16). "What it will cost you to buy in Russian Hill right now". Curbed SF. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.