Storybook Sacramento home with fabled pool for sale on coveted street for $1.35M. See it
A storybook Tudor of immense character is for sale on a coveted street in Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood — and neighbors say in the 1940s its pool became a shimmering oasis for children on hot summer days when polio fears closed the city’s public swimming facilities.
Built in 1933, the charming four-bedroom, 2,260-square-foot residence on Francis Court recently hit the real estate market for $1.35 million. The three-level home’s appeal is striking right away with its whimsical dormers, gables, wavy shingle roofing and bright rust stucco exterior walls.
The allure carries on inside.
In a style reminiscent of prominent Sacramento builder Frank “Squeaky” Williams, the interior is spotlighted by carved beam ceilings, stained-glass windows, inlaid mahogany hardwood floors and French doors. The traditional style of the residence integrates recent modern upgrades.
“I’d say my favorite thing about this house is the magic,” listing agent Jamie Rich of House Real Estate said. “The whimsical feeling that you get when you pull up to this house is something that you just do not find every day, and then once you get inside, it’s like every turn there is something else to look at.”
“It takes people two, three visits and swirls around when they’re here, to really take it all in, from the beams on the ceiling, to the original doors and windows, the hardware,” she added. “Everything that (the owners) have touched, they’ve tried to preserve. It’s really the feeling that you get when you are in this home — it’s special, and it’s one that we hope goes to another family who loves it just as much as they have.”
The house’s first owner was Dr. Howard Huntley, who owned much of the land that now constitutes Francis Court. Huntley took an active role in improving the community, according to neighborhood accounts.
In the 1940s, Huntley invited any child accompanied by an adult to swim at his house as a safe recreational place when public pools closed during the polio epidemic. The late Thomas Green, a longtime Francis Court resident who grew up there and was familiar with the Huntley residence, liked to share the story.
“That’s kind of a fun story that was told to the current owners and everyone else on the street by a neighbor who grew up here and played with the Huntleys’ kids and spent a lot of time in this home and that pool,” Rich said.
Huntley’s pool was one of the first to be built in the city, according to Rich.
Ideal for swimming laps, the long, narrow pool — about 30 feet long, 11 feet wide and five feet deep — has been recently upgraded but its original footprint remains, Rich said.
The fabled pool is part of a deep backyard designed for entertaining. The home was spotlighted on the Land Park garden tour. The grounds have a waterfall and small stream that runs alongside a quaint artist’s studio and mature landscaping.
Julie Clark Martin has owned the home since 2007. It’s being sold as she and her husband are relocating to England.
“I feel like I’m the caretaker for the Huntley house,” said Martin, who’s lived there for 18 years. “It’s almost a living, breathing organism to me, and it feels like it has a personality all of its own. It’s really lovely. I love to host and this is a great house for entertaining. What makes me happiest is that when my friends come over, they feel that it’s a warm place to come hang out.”
Any gathering, conversation or morning tea might begin in the home’s beautiful, light-filled front parlor in front of the fireplace. The kitchen has been redesigned and updated with stainless steel countertops and a Wolf range. A breakfast nook looks out onto the frontyard and street.
Off the kitchen, there’s a large dining room. Four bedrooms and two full bathrooms are upstairs, with one bedroom accessed from either inside or outside, a set-up that offers the possibility of using the space as nanny or guest quarters.
Storybook architecture emerged in the 1920s in the United States, Rich said. Interest in the style of home rose after World War I when many U.S. soldiers returned home enchanted by the quaint European villages. The nostalgia for European architecture, combined with the burgeoning Hollywood film industry, powered the development of homes that resembled elaborate movie sets, she added.
Storybook architecture isn’t prevalent around Sacramento, however.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time,” Rich said. “This is the first time I’ve been honored to represent a storybook home. I probably could count them on one hand.”
The property also has a tandem garage and a basement for ample storage.
“Every inch of this property makes you feel nostalgic and happy,” the property listing states.
The home is within walking distance to several attractions, including William Land Park, which can be seen from the property, the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland amusement parks, soccer and baseball fields and a nine-hole public golf course.
“I’m biased, since I live across the park, but Land Park is a wonderful neighborhood,” Rich said. “ Land Park has always been held as one of the greatest neighborhoods in Sacramento.”
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
