Features
Bright and airy spaces, gorgeous period details, and a lush backyard make this pristine 3 bedroom, 2 bath home stand out from the crowd. With original charm intact, the property has been updated with refinished hardwood floors, new lighting, and a fresh coat of paint inside and out. Relax by the elegant fireplace in the living room, host dinner parties in the beautiful formal dining room, cook fabulous meals in the cheerful sky-lit kitchen. 3 spacious bedrooms complete the main floor. Downstairs you’ll find a 2-room living space with garden access and a full bath, as well as a huge garage with ample storage and expansion potential. The newly landscaped backyard is great for entertaining. Just steps from Golden Gate Park!
House History / Architectural Significance
The home at 727 16th Avenue was built in 1921, along with one house to the north and three to the south. Together, the grouping of five dwellings formed a micro-tract that was developed by Edward A. Janssen. The 1920 census, taken one year before the house was built, states the Edward A. Janssen was a 48 year old real estate broker, born in California to German parents. He lived on 10th Avenue with his family and was active in the early development of the area, building a number of other houses and residential flats around the 17th Avenue and Cabrillo intersection and elsewhere in the Richmond District. Some city directories list Janssen as an architect, showing that he was more than a real estate dealer, but also designed and built the houses on the properties he owned. This was a common arrangement, especially in San Francisco's western neighborhoods during the 1910s and 20s, when the area's expansive sand dunes were rapidly developing. Often simply entrepreneurial carpenters, these real estate brokers would buy up groupings of empty lots and build a series of houses, which they would then sell on speculation. The cost of construction for 727 16th Avenue was a mere $3,800.
The earliest known residents of the house were the Levy family. As early as 1924, Clara A. Levy rented the house for $65.50 a month. She lived in it with her two adult sons, Frederick and Edwin. Frederick Levy was an attorney with his own practice and Edwin Levy was a civil engineer employed by a construction company. The Levys moved out sometime around 1947 and by 1948, Anne Zucker was the owner and resident. She was a widow and lived in the house with two of her four adult children. Elder son Sylvan was a salesman for Harry Brucker, a woolen goods merchant, while younger son Warren worked as a driver. The Zucker family lived at 727 16th Avenue until around 1961. The next residents were Clarence H. Hurst, an accountant, and his wife Alexandra, who occupied the house throughout the 1960s and into the 70s. By 1975, Donald E. Dana was the owner. He was an executive vice president of Wells Fargo and an amateur anthropologist and explorer. In the late 1970s the house was home to Elton I. Caine, who was retired, and by 1981 Osamu Kawamura was the owner.
727 16th Avenue was designed with a mélange of Classical and Mediterranean features, which are often found together in an aesthetic common to the 1920s tract houses of the western neighborhoods. The house also demonstrates a common facade organization that consists of a basement-level garage and primary entrance, surmounted by a first story bay window bearing a highly ornamental window design. In fact, both the blended Classical and Mediterranean styles and the facade configuration can be seen on the neighboring houses, hinting at their common origin; however, while the stylistic influences, facades, and plans are similar, varied treatments and details make each of the houses unique.
The home’s facade is clad with stucco and the raised-basement level features balanced entry vestibules for front door and garage. On the left, the front door is sheltered within a recessed vestibule with a shouldered, flat arch opening. The vestibule is floored with mosaic tile that hints at the Classical artistry of ancient Rome. The broad entry assembly consists of a multi-lite wood door with a segmental arch at the top, flanked by similarly arched sidelights. On the right side of the basement level the garage vestibule houses a paneled wood roll up door, utility cabinet, and tradesman's entrance; which was intended to give workmen and household servants access to the utilitarian areas of the property without entering through the formal front door. The garage vestibule has a standard rectangular opening, but is adorned with Classical foliate scroll brackets at the upper corners. The centerpiece of the upper story is the square bay window. It has a graceful series of three windows topped by round arched panels across the front plane. These windows are single-lite sashes, for unobstructed views, and are surrounded by molded sills and trim. The arched panels each have a small rosette medallion at the center, continuing the Classical motif upward to culminate in a traditional Classical cornice. This cornice, which crowns the flat roofline, includes bead-and-reel and waterleaf moldings.
Neighborhood
Central Richmond District
Stretching the from Golden Gate park to California Street, and from Park Presidio Boulevard to 33rd Ave, you’ll find Central Richmond, a uniquely appealing district that features both residential housing and well-known businesses. Real estate in this neighborhood is centrally located with easy access to great food, historic parks, and all kinds of entertainment.
The restaurant selection is unbeatable, from Asian to French, Italian to Mexican, and more. Plenty of cafes dot Clement Street, one of the areas central corridors where food options will match any preference.
Residents of wide-ranging cultural heritage have come to call Central Richmond home, situated, as it is, between the neighborhoods of Inner Richmond, Sea Cliff, and Golden Gate Park. Historically, the Richmond District was known by the early settlers as “the Great Sand Waste” because it was primarily rolling sand dunes - a barrier between the sea and the growing San Francisco.
Truly an area of great possibilities, Central Richmond is a safe and comfortable neighborhood with no-fuss access to both Golden Gate, and
Presido Parks, with the Pacific Ocean less than a mile down the avenue. You’ll find the University of San Francisco, San Francisco State, and the University of California - San Francisco, only a short hop away. And in between, a great selection of entertainment and fun to be found, lining the peaceful, family-friendly streets.
Park adventures, music festivals, spectacular museums, and children’s attractions are just beyond the tree-lined park parameter. Spend the day watching the miniature yachts of Spreckels Lake, or giving your kids time to explore the many playgrounds.
Schedule
Open Houses:
Sunday 3/4 2-4pm
Tuesday 3/6 11am - 12:30pm
Thursday 3/8 5-7pm
Saturday 3/10 2-4pm
Sunday 3/11 2-4pm
Tuesday 3/13 11:30am - 1pm
Additional Showings by Appointment:
Contact Robert Moffatt
415.722.4038
[email protected]