Cozy and elegant Saverien Manor, a home rich in Sacramento history, hits market at $3M
With stunning period detail and elegantly restored craftsmanship, one of Sacramento’s finest historic homes — The Saverien Manor — has hit the market for nearly $3 million.
The French Normandy main house was built in 1936 by Frank “Squeaky” Williams, who pioneered the Sierra Oaks development when Fulton Avenue was just a dirt road among pastureland. Saverien Manor sits on a private one-acre lot off busy Fair Oaks Boulevard at 930 Saverien Drive.
The estate originally encompassed 11 acres all the way down to the American River. Saverien Manor, the oldest standing home in the Wilhaggin neighborhood, feels secluded but is only eight miles from downtown Sacramento.
“It’s considered one of the most unique places in the area,” said listing agent Iman Turminini of Nick Sadek Sotheby’s International Realty. “You really have to go and walk around (the property) and see how it feels.”
The home has changed owners only three times in nearly 100 years. The sellers are urban designers and planners Zafar and Vanessa Alikhan, who bought the property in 2016 for $725,000, according to public records. They extensively restored and upgraded the property, which was formerly owned by famous waterbed pitchman Tom Labrie, public records show.
“It has been a labor of love to restore with historically accurate elements that match the home to avoid altering the historic charm and architectural integrity,” according to marketing material provided by Sotheby’s.
Williams constructed the five-bedroom, 3,600-square-foot main house out of Sierra cedar with extensive copper detailing. The home carries his signature use of natural building materials, such as hammered metal, stone, artisan brick and rich woodwork. The entry is paved in original terra cotta tiles. There are numerous dormer windows, too.
Fine details carry throughout the home: Tiffany light fixtures, stained-glass windows, hardwood floors and exposed beams. A sensational Gustav Stickley-designed hammered-copper and engraved stove hood, estimated in value at $100,000, highlights the chef’s kitchen. Stickley was an American furniture manufacturer and designer who led the Arts and Crafts movement.
The fireplace in the front living room is made of stone and brick and restored by removing 22 coats of paint. There’s a library and a downstairs bedroom/office that used to be a butler’s pantry.
The primary suite has multiple rooms with a wonderful wrap-around balcony overlooking a large heated pool with a diving board, waterslide and a waterfall.
The expansive grounds, dotted with heritage oak, cedar and pine, contain a rope course, a large vegetable garden with container boxes, a barn, bike trail and rock spa. There are several seating spaces spotlighted by forged peacock lamps in a nod to a time when peacocks roamed the grounds.
The detached, two-level guest quarters —originally a carriage house built in 1920 — contains a kitchen and a workshop above. The outdoor kitchen is easily accessible from the interior.
“Saverien Manor is arguably the finest example of a Williams home that has been restored, and not extensively replaced,” according to Sotheby’s.
“The house is cozy, but no expense was spared on the materials.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 5:00 PM.
