Two stately homes built in 1800s – in Sierra and Bay Area – modernize, now for sale
A pair of homes built around the same time — both more than 124 years old but beautifully renovated for modern times — have hit the market, offering a comparison of historical residences in distinctly different parts of Northern California.
In the small Gold Rush-era town of Sierraville, 25 minutes north of Truckee, sits a stately farmhouse, 103 S. Lincoln St., that was built in 1881. The home recently hit the market for $849,000.
The property sits at the edge of an alpine valley with expansive views of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Sierraville was one of the earliest communities settled in the Sierra Valley.
The owners spent nearly $500,000 in renovations, upgrades and improvements over the past few years, according to a news release. That work includes:
▪ Newly installed forced air heating system throughout the house
▪ New roof installed six years ago
▪ The 1926-era knob and tube electrical system fully replaced with new wiring throughout home
▪ Stainless steel, commercial-grade appliances
▪ Reclaimed, wide-plank Douglas Fir flooring throughout main floor, sourced from structures that used to be standing on the property including a barn and carriage house
▪ Preservation of historic items, such as a door bell, banister at foot of stairs, screen doors and door knobs
“The owners of this elegant home have merged class with function while maintaining the historic preservation of this truly beautiful property nestled in the majestic Sierra Valley,” real estate agent Brinn Talbot said via email.
The four-bedroom, three-bath home with 2,772 square feet of living space has a cottage style look throughout the interior, and has been featured by Pottery Barn, according to the news release. Outside, there is a half-acre of lawn and fenced-in landscaped yard. There are paver walkways and hardscape patios in the front and back for gatherings. Within the yard are 100 year-old cottonwoods, apple and plum trees, quince, lilacs, flowering Hawthorne and perennials that bloom from late spring into autumn.
The other historic home is a former parsonage located in the the Bay Area, at 1511 8th St., Alameda, that spans 2,494 square feet and has five bedrooms and three full baths. It’s one of the oldest homes in Alameda, according to Red Oak Realty, which holds the listing.
“This historic Victorian home, with Colonial Revival elements, has been dramatically improved and upgraded since its original construction as a parsonage in 1896, yet it is redolent with period character,” according to the listing.
One of the modern new touches is an electric-vehicle charging station, the listing says. The home is one block from BART for quick commutes to San Francisco or Oakland.
The home features stately stairs leading up to a raised front porch, “built to accommodate seating for the parson and his family, who would sit outside to greet parishioners and neighbors,” the listing states.
The entry area has an original Colonial Revival light fixture overhead. There’s a formal living room with bay windows that look over the front yard. The high ceiling is adorned by a medallion and the walls topped with formal crown moulding. Original pocket doors extending up to the ceiling allows the the living room and dining room to join as a larger reception area. The formal dining room also bears an elaborate ceiling medallion and detailed crown moulding carved in the late 1800s, according to the listing.
A large farmhouse kitchen sits toward the back of the first floor. Two light-filled bedrooms are on the floor.
On the lower level, there’s a spacious family room, with an ample laundry area under the staircase. The ensuite primary bedroom, with large closet, maintains the vintage of the home. All three downstairs bedrooms offer private access to the garden.
A tidy garden wraps around the home.
“The Parsonage is perfect just as she is, but also offers a million possibilities for different forms of occupancy: multi-generational occupancy, occupancy as a three bedroom single-family home with two dedicated independently-accessible home-office spaces, occupancy of the home as it is, but with potential further expansion into the attic to create an even more substantial residence,” according to the listing.
The home last sold for $700,000 in 2006, according to realtor.com.
Lucy Armentrout of Red Oak Realty is the listing agent.
