William Westerfeld House facts for kids
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William Westerfeld House
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 Location in San Francisco County
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1198 Fulton St., San Francisco, California |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Henry Geilfuss |
| Architectural style | Stick/Eastlake |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000197 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1989 |
The William Westerfeld House is a famous old building in San Francisco, California. You can find it at 1198 Fulton Street, right across from Alamo Square. A German candy maker named William Westerfeld had it built in 1889. This house is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a San Francisco Landmark.
Contents
A Look Back at the Westerfeld House
Building a Dream Home
William Westerfeld came to San Francisco in the 1870s. He became a successful candy maker and owned many bakeries. In 1889, he hired an architect named Henry Geilfuss. Henry designed a huge 28-room house for William and his family of six. It even had a rose garden and a carriage house for horses and buggies. The house cost about $9,985 to build back then.
New Owners and Changes
When William Westerfeld passed away in 1895, the house was sold to John Mahony. John was famous for building big hotels like the St. Francis Hotel and the Palace Hotel after the 1906 earthquake. John changed the rose garden into apartments to help with the city's need for more homes.
In 1928, a group of people from Russia bought the house. They turned the large room on the first floor into a nightclub called "Dark Eyes." The upper floors were used for meetings. Because of this, people sometimes called the house the "Russian Embassy."
A Home for Musicians
Around 1948, the house was changed again, this time into 14 separate apartments. For the next 20 years, many musicians lived there. These musicians often played in the jazz clubs nearby. Some people say that famous jazz musician John Handy lived there, too.
A Place for Artists and Bands
In 1965, a man named Charles Fracchia bought the building, but he never lived in it. The house was even mentioned in a book called The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. A large group of about 50 artists, called the Calliope Company, moved in.
Later, in 1967, a filmmaker named Kenneth Anger lived there. He filmed parts of his movie Invocation of My Demon Brother at the house. The movie featured music by the famous rock star Mick Jagger.
In 1968, members of a group called Family Dog lived in the house. They helped organize big music concerts. Famous bands like the Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company often visited the house.
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Saving the House
In the 1970s, people started trying to fix up the building. Two men bought the house in 1969 for $45,000. They worked on the fourth floor, which used to be for servants. Even though a big city project tore down many old buildings in the Western Addition area, the Westerfeld House was saved.
In 1986, Jim Siegel bought the house for $750,000. He has done a lot of work to restore it. He fixed the foundation, replaced old wiring and plumbing, and repaired the roof. He also brought back the beautiful old woodwork inside and outside. The large ballroom on the first floor was restored, and its 25-foot (7.6 m) ceiling was decorated with special old-style wallpaper.
