A historic home located in the Presidio Heights district of San Francisco is on the market for the first time in over a century for $16 million.
The home was built for Leon Lazare Roos and Elizabeth Leslie Meyerfeld in 1909 as a wedding gift from her father, Morris Meyerfeld Jr., president of the Orpheum Circuit —one of the largest theater companies on the West Coast at the time. Ms. Meyerfeld would often travel with her parents to Europe to scout talent for the theater, said Mr. Mark Roos, her grandson and seller of the family home.
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Since then, the property has been passed down through generations. Three generations of Roos family members have lived in the property. "It was the first house on the block," Mr. Roos said. His father was raised in the house but passed away early, leaving the home to his mother, Jane Schaefer Roos.
One of the main reasons the family is selling now, Mr. Roos explained, is that in her will, his mother who also lived in the house, said she wished for the house to be sold. "We’re following the directions of my mother's trust. We have really very much enjoyed that we were able to live in the house for 30 plus years. We’ve had a wonderful experience raising our kids," Mr. Roos said.
"We’re going to miss it but we’ve known that this was the plan for a long time," Mr. Roos said.
The original 9,000-square-foot, Tudor revival-style mansion was designed by Bernard Maybeck, who was then a prominent local architect. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1930 that the residence reached its current size of 10,313 square feet after Maybeck was employed once again to design terraces and a nursery. Maybeck’s design, "contributes to the uniqueness of the home," said Nina Hatvany from Pacific Union International Real Estate. She is the listing agent for the property.
Maybeck went on to design San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, given his flair toward the Gothic and dramatic styles. The architect’s hallmarks included large windows, and native woods. He also designed many of the Bay Area’s most interesting and treasured homes.
The original home cost less the $50,000 to build, according to Bloomberg, which originally reported the listing.
Although the interior has had major upgrades and add-ons, including an updated kitchen with sleek stainless steel appliances, the original structure of the home is still intact, one of the features that makes it unique. The majority of the original structure is made out of Californian red wood, which is known for being a strong, resilient material.
One of the main highlights of the property is, "the amazing ‘great room’ with a 20-foot ceiling and a 16-foot fireplace," Ms. Hatvany said. Mr. Roos’s grandmother loved entertaining; she would often host soirees in the great room, according to Bloomberg. "The incredible volume, warm feeling and magnificent view [of the Bay Area and Presidio] make this room truly one of a kind," Ms. Hatvany added.
The home was built for entertaining, added Mr. Roos. "We're pretty sure that anyone who buys it would want to do the same."
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The house has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms with one half-bath, and multiple storage areas. Every floor has views of the Bay Area and is flooded with sunlight on sunny days. Other notable features are a library, two terraces, multi-car parking options with a garage and driveway, a study and three family rooms. There is also a wine cellar.
But just as notable are the property’s unique details, particularly various Gothic decorating pieces like gargoyles and ornate carvings, Ms. Hatvany said.