Atherton House
About this property
The Atherton House, also known as the Faxon Atherton Mansion, is a historic building in San Francisco, California, United States. The style of the house, a blend of Queen Anne and Stick-Eastlake, has been described as both "eclectic" and "bizarre". The house was built in 1881–1882 in the Queen Anne style with horizontal lines, a clipped gable, and a short tower. The architect is thought to have been John Marquis, but it has also been attributed to the Moore Brothers, who are depicted in other accounts as the initial builders. It was constructed for Dominga de Goñi Atherton (1823–1890) after the death of her husband Faxon Atherton. She was the mother-in-law of novelist Gertrude Atherton, who wrote about the house in her memoirs. Newspaper articles about the house when the housewarming was held in 1882 described it as picturesque, but appearing to be a relic of an earlier time. The reporter also noted that the height of the rooms created a claustrophobic effect on visitors. Possibly in answer to the comments, Dominga hired Charles Lee Tilden to improve the house. After Dominga Atherton's death in 1890, the mansion was sold to Edgar Mills, brother of Darius Ogden Mills of the Bank of California, and in 1900 was renumbered from 1950 to 1990 California St. In 1908 it was purchased by George Chauncey Boardman, a real-estate magnate and president of San Francisco Fire Insurance, whose house had been destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. His widow and other family members lived there until 1923, when it was bought by Charles J. Rousseau, an architect, who subdivided it into 13 apartments. His widow Carrie lived there with fifty cats until her death in 1974. As of 2008 it was still subdivided.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Atherton House
This page lists Atherton House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Atherton House listed on the National Register?
Atherton House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 31, 1979.
What type of historic resource is Atherton House?
Atherton House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Atherton House?
The period of significance for Atherton House is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Atherton House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Atherton House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in San Francisco County
Historic places, battles, and census history across San Francisco County.
Explore San FranciscoCounty ›More historic places in California
Browse all historic places in California.
View Californiahistoric sites ›California history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Californiahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Atherton House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.