Sep 21, 2022 - News

Historic, half-arched house hits the San Francisco market

Nick Bastone

The Tobin House, 1969 California St. Photo: Jacob Elliott for Sotheby’s International Realty

One of the wilder looking houses in San Francisco — half arch and all — hit the market Monday and can be yours for a smooth $13.85 million.

Context: Michael Henry de Young, who helped start the newspaper that became the San Francisco Chronicle, commissioned the home — located at 1969 California St. — for his daughter Constance and her husband, Joseph Tobin, in 1915.

It became known as the Tobin House.
De Young also owned the lot next door and planned to have a home built for his other daughter Helen — one that would mirror Constance's and complete the outdoor archway.
But Helen never moved to the city, and the second home was never constructed, hence the half arch.

Details: Famed San Francisco architect Willis Polk designed the four-level, 9,000-square-foot home, which sits one block south of Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights.

It has five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and 11.5-foot ceilings.

According to the San Francisco Business Times, the home last sold in 2004 for $6.5 million.

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Historic, half-arched house hits the San Francisco market

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