In San Francisco, a Victorian’s Reign
This lovingly restored Queen Anne was designed by William H. Armitage, a lauded San Francisco architect of his day who designed a number of buildings surrounding Alamo Square.
Dating to 1892, the elegant residence at 1057 Steiner Street was built for Seattle lumber baron Daniel B. Jackson, along with three adjacent apartment buildings on Golden Gate Avenue. The four structures were originally painted in a similar style to give the impression of one enormous, combined façade, and together, it became known as the Seattle Block.
After nearly four decades as a bed-and-breakfast inn, the house, now called Chateau Tivoli, tempts prospective buyers with the opportunity to return to its roots as a grand single-family home.
This quintessentially San Francisco mansion offers more than 6,500 square feet of interior space through 22 rooms, including 10 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Rich architectural details include an entry with marble stairs, stained glass, elaborate ceiling mouldings, carved relief plaster decorations, heavy oak double doors, and a sweeping oak staircase to the upper floors. As a nod to the source of Jackson’s fortune, the house boasts elaborate woodwork throughout, including parquet flooring and lavishly carved built-in furniture. The kitchen features stained-glass windows, a commercial Traulsen refrigerator, an antique CP gas stove, and a butler’s pantry. Other amenities include a one-car garage, two caretaker units with exposed brick walls, very high ceilings and graciously proportioned rooms, and a secret fifth-floor attic room with skylights.
“Homes like this one are in high demand in San Francisco, but low supply.”
Part of the Alamo Square Historic District, the Queen Anne/French Revival-style home lies on the same thoroughfare as the Hillard family house in Mrs. Doubtfire (“Steiner! Oh, how lovely,” exclaimed Robin Williams) and just a couple of blocks from the painted ladies of Postcard Row and Full House fame. Chateauesque architecture is relatively rare, and it’s even more unusual to find a residential version of the style and on the West Coast, where the few Chateauesque Victorians tended to be municipal and commercial buildings. Meant to evoke French châteaux, the American versions are a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Victorian elements, with a steeply pitched and highly ornamented roof, embellished with finials, turrets, gables, and colorful slate patterns. Balconies and doorways are framed in a similarly elaborate bursts of metalwork, plaster carvings, and gilded details.
“The intricate woodwork and ornate details in Victorian interiors reflect the craftsmanship of a bygone era,” explained Bonnie Spindler, the listing agent with Corcoran Icon Properties. “Victorian homes have stood the test of time, evolving gracefully while retaining their historic charm.”
Over the decades, 1057 Steiner went through a multitude of identities. After just a few years, Jackson sold it to Ernestine Kreling, founder and owner of the Tivoli Opera House on Eddy Street, an early West Coast theater to showcase opera stars from around the world. Renowned singers and performers were frequent visitors — famous guests included the likes of writer Mark Twain, actress Lillie Langtry, and soprano Luisa Tetrazzini. The house even did a stint as as New Age Center in the 1970s, bringing drum beats and chanting to its halls.
The transformation from home to inn began in 1985, when it was purchased by Rodney Karr and William Gersbach. Karr, involved with the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco and various other local preservation groups, was determined to bring the house back to its Gilded Age glory. Together with Gersbach, the two embarked on a top-to-bottom restoration, which brought a new slate roof in striking stripe and diamond patterns, refurbished hardwood floors, recreated plaster work and the painstaking stripping away of numerous layers of paint that covered the oak staircase inside the front doors. They added Victorian antique furnishings and fixtures and installed hand-printed Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper with metallic accents of historically accurate prints that are now discontinued and no longer available. The house is being sold fully furnished, period-correct details intact. The home’s remarkable authenticity makes it all the more unique, no matter its next role.
“Homes like this one are in high demand in San Francisco, but low supply,” says Spindler, a noted specialist in Victorian homes who lives nearby in her own 1893-vintage example. “Preserving the architectural integrity of Victorian homes is crucial; they are tangible links to our cultural heritage.”
The resplendent and newly-christened Chateau Tivoli opened its doors October 13, 1989, just days before the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the city. Fortunately, the restored grand dame sailed right through it, making it through unscathed. In 1997, the Shohet family bought Chateau Tivoli and continued to operate it as a charming urban bed-and-breakfast, proudly shepherding this San Francisco architectural gem through the next three decades.
“People will be walking to see the painted ladies of Postcard Row, stop in front of Chateau Tivoli, and start taking photos,” Spindler added. “It’s so grand and imposing. After all, when people plan to visit San Francisco, it’s the Victorians that they imagine in their mind.”
