Most expensive home listed in San Francisco offers charm, history, Golden Gate views
At $35 million, a 1910 San Francisco home on Billionaire’s Row — with charm, history and extraordinary views of the Golden Gate Bridge and bay — is the most expensive single-family residential listing in the city so far this year, according to Compass real estate firm.
Hitting the market on Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Georgian Colonial-style home in the heart of Pacific Heights was designed by the late architect Nathaniel Blaisdell and built at a cost of $42,500 in 1910.
Now fully renovated and modernized, the home at 2830 Pacific Ave. features one of the first residential elevators in the city, taking residents and guests from the foyer up to the pent-room level.
George Lingard Payne, who owned a carriage bolt factory that Blaisdell also designed, commissioned the home over a century ago. Constructed of Oregon pine and California redwood, it featured a ground-floor ballroom, landscaped garden terrace and a rare side driveway large enough for up to 10 vehicles, with a rear garage.
“The home’s unprecedented scale and elegant symmetry are revealed from the marble front steps past the columned entry to the grand staircase,” according to the property listing. “With soaring ceilings, oversized windows, and elongated sight lines, its spacial elegance is unmatched.”
Mansion has wraparound roof terrace
The mansion’s living space spans 9,625 square feet with six bedrooms and six full bathrooms. There’s a pent level and wraparound roof deck. The lot is nearly a quarter-acre in size.
“Located in the iconic Gold Coast-Billionaire’s Row, this home is exquisitely remodeled and restored to create the ultimate entertaining and family lifestyle,” listing agent Maximillian Armour of Compass said in a statement. “From soaring ceilings, to gracious 3,000 square foot floorplates, to unobstructed Golden Gate Bridge views from the pent-level with wraparound deck to the walk-out landscaped backyard, this home epitomizes a life well lived.”
The home last sold in May 2010 for $8.35 million, according to public record. The owners are selling the estate because their children have moved out and they are downsizing, according to a Compass representative, who said the sellers want to remain anonymous.
The home’s ownership is listed under Helena Trust, according to Property Shark real estate database.
Recent renovation of the home included the restoration of original architectural elements as well as new detail work that retained the integrity of the original design. There was also a seismic retrofit “completed with sensitivity to the original architectural details and materials,” according to information provided by Compass.
The remodel also focused on upgrading the windows, glass doors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. The property’s landscaping was redone in 2020 and included the outdoor kitchen and deck.
Home is lavish venue for ...
The house has been the venue for many lavish and memorable social gatherings throughout its history — weddings, concerts, school dances, fundraisers and even at fete to honor a new chandelier, according to an article in the 2009 Designer Showcase program provided by Compass.
Interior designer Clarence “Clary” Slade bought the home in 1954. He was a partner at Regency House Imports in San Francisco. Slade sold the home in 1964 to Kenneth Sayre, a stockbroker and later CEO for Irving Lundborg and Co., according to the article.
After transferring to New York City after only a year in the house, Slade sold the property to Hartley and Helen “Nellie” Cravens. Hartley Cravens worked in the family insurance business. Their family lived there for 27 years.
After Wilford and Anna Hoover became owners in 1994, they hosted concerts, poetry readings, political fund raisers and their daughter’s wedding there, according to the Designer Showcase article. On one occasion, their son invited his entire high school to dance the Charleston in the ballroom.
“Picture taking a respite on the roof deck while taking in the unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge and feeling an elevated connection to the world around you,” the property listing states.
This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 12:47 PM.
