Come inside historic S.F. mansion that survived 1906 quake and is selling for $21.8 million
San Francisco’s fascinating Le Petit Trianon mansion, a replica of the famous building at the Versailles Palace in France, is for sale at a reduced price: $21.8 million.
The historic building, constructed from 1902 to 1904, in the city’s posh Presidio Heights neighborhood survived the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed 80 percent of the town.
“The iconic, historically irreplaceable facade of Le Petit Trianon is one of the world’s most recognizable images,” according to the officiall listing. “Designated as both a San Francisco as well as a National Historical Landmark,and considered one of the City’s architectural masterpieces, this extraordinary monument has been host to a glittering array of some of the most important social, cultural, artistic and philanthropic events in San Francisco history.”
Le Petit Trianon, 3800 Washington Street, was built for Marcus and Corinne Koshland after they visited Versailles on their European grand tour in 1900, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com. Marcus Koshland was heir to Koshland Brothers, a wool and fur merchant. She was a founder of the San Francisco Symphony Association and one of the first directors of the San Francisco Opera Company, according to the real estate website.
“She used the mansion’s rotunda, with its perfect acoustics, to present concerts with a wide variety of music ranging from opera to violin and piano by guest musicians such as Igor Stravinsky, Jascha Heifitz, and Leonard Bernstein,” TopTenRealEstateDeals wrote in an article. “Almost a hundred guests could be seated on the home’s wide stairs and in its lobby. “
Last year, the seller, venture capitalist Ron Jankov, was asking $30 million for the mansion, according to several media reports. In January 2020, the residence was listed at the current asking price, about $8 million less, according to realtor.com.
The estate is built on three levels with views of the city and San Francisco Bay. The home spans 17,895 square feet with nine bedrooms and nine baths. There are two kitchens, two wet bars and nine fireplaces, each of different character. Among the 20 rooms in the palace sits an elegant former ballroom that is now a nightclub, a media room, formal living and dining rooms, reception room, library, family room, two home offices and a breakfast room. All main rooms branch off from a dazzling central atrium with a stained glass ceiling that allows light to infuse the space. A gardening room features a whimsical bug wallpaper.
Outside, there’s parking for six to eight vehicles on a cobblestone driveway and a two-car garage. Landscaping on the nearly half-acre grounds features beautiful, private French gardens.
In 2015, “self-described artist and nomad” Jeremiah Kaylor moved into the notable sandstone building, according to The Wall Street Journal. He illegally squatted in the palatial home for months before being arrested for burglary and grand theft, among other charges, the newspaper reported.
Le Petit Trianon is a near-perfect replica of the original world-renowned building at the Versailles Palace in France which was constructed between 1763 and 1768 by King Louis XV.
