Inside a Historic Pacific Heights Manor

March 25, 2025

Immortalized in print as “the most iconic mansion in San Francisco,” this regal late-19th-century residence features Georgian glamour, contemporary luxuries, and a wealth of spaces ideal for fabulous fêtes or quiet private moments.

In the late 19th century—a time when women could not own property in San Francisco—Philadelphia art collector Sarah Spooner migrated to the West Coast city undaunted, drawn by its numerous charms. She chose a site then outside the city limits, at the top of a level hill in what today is prestigious Pacific Heights and where the sweeping vista was truly breathtaking. She then commissioned the esteemed British architect Ernest Albert Coxhead—designer of the Home Telephone Company headquarters at 333 Grant, among numerous other area landmarks—to create a regal Georgian residence suffused with Old World glamour. Decades later, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen fittingly sealed the home’s reputation in print, referring to it as “the most iconic mansion in San Francisco.” Painstakingly maintained and updated with contemporary fixtures and luxuries, the estate has endured to become a lodestar woven into the history of San Francisco.

San Francisco, California | Pattie Lawton, Sotheby’s International Realty – San Francisco Brokerage

Unmatched in its finery and attention to detail, the 8,179-square-foot residence spans four levels, with spaces ideal for fabulous festive fêtes or quiet private moments—each unique in style and equal in refinement. At the top of an august stairway that rises through an emerald lawn, a striking sculptural façade and custom etched-glass doors introduce a foyer that is anchored by an impressive winding staircase. Beyond lie formal and casual rooms, five or six bedrooms, and alluring alfresco oases.

Chief among the public spaces are a living room with an ornate fireplace, wide windows, and intricate dentil molding and a dining room with a coffered ceiling, herringbone-patterned hardwood floors, a dramatic marble fireplace, and an inviting window seat. The historic “salon,” however, is singular and splendid, imported wholesale from France, carefully maintained, and boasting elaborate wall tracery and mirrors, a dazzling marble fireplace, a Venetian plaster ceiling, and French doors to the grounds. Spacious and filled with light, the streamlined contemporary kitchen is a relatively new addition that features top-caliber stainless-steel appliances, a generous breakfast area, a butler’s pantry with discreet access to the dining room, a cozy sitting area with a contemporary fireplace and built-in seating, a chef’s desk, and doors to a secret walled garden. Through a gate lies the home’s primary outdoor space, a magnificent open area designed for relaxed lounging or grand gatherings en plein air.

The sophisticated primary suite occupies the east wing of the second level. Its spacious bedroom features a sitting area with an elegant fireplace, a reading area with a bay view, and a balcony. Recently rejuvenated, the roomy, luxurious bath is adjoined by a dressing room with a fireplace, built-in wardrobes, and a thoughtful Murphy bed. Completing this level are two distinctive guest suites and a wood-paneled library or family room with handsome hardwood floors, a marble fireplace, and a versatile closet cleverly hidden behind a wall panel. On the lowest level are multiple storage rooms and a garage with side-by-side parking for two cars.

Beyond two comfortable bedrooms with a shared bath, the remainder of the uppermost level is dedicated to a sleek, light-flooded pentroom, where walls of glass provide a cinematic outlook—from Noe Valley across the downtown skyline to Angel Island, Alcatraz, and the waters of the bay. A terrace and a wraparound balcony allow for enjoyment of the enviable views amid the fresh air and blue skies of San Francisco, which brought both Spooner and Coxhead to the city and have drawn luminaries from around the world ever since.