SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — At the very top of Liberty Hill in San Francisco, you’ll find what’s coined “The Mayor’s Mansion,” which looks like something straight out of a storybook.
The property once belonged to San Francisco’s longest-serving mayor, James “Sunny Jim” Rolph Jr.
It’s rumored that the original home was built for Rolph’s mistress, actress Anita Page.
It’s also been speculated that the home was the center of several parties during the Prohibition era.
Now in 2021, the two-bedroom 4,700-square-foot property, which has been completely renovated, is on the market for $11,850,000.
“The owners sought to preserve the remarkable history of this home which was designed for lavish entertaining and discreet living,” according to the home’s listing, “which meant preserving it as the 2 bedroom, 2 full bath, 2 powder room residence it was designed to be and allowing spaces to flourish with character, flair and entertainment value, rather than be destined to sit empty as under-utilized bedrooms.”
San Francisco general contractor Buck O’Neill called it “a very unique house.”
“It’s not normal stuff that we really build,” he said.
O’Neill said he worked on “The Mayor’s Mansion” for six years and says building the home felt like a passion project for everyone involved.
The home underwent a five-year, $8 million renovation, and there’s an “incredible level of craftsmanship and whimsy inside,” said Compass agent Rob Levy.
The home’s features include a “cast and forged” iron catwalk, spiral stairs, pressed-tin ceiling tiles, and a Tiffany-style glass chandelier in the dining room. The whole house was built around its library, and there is even a restored leather floor in the great room.
Outside, there are “expansive outdoor view decks and balcony, gracious front gardens set in an English style, a secluded rear, natural stone patio perfect for entertaining,” according to the listing, as well as a guest suite above the detached garage.
There are also two secret passages built into the lower portions of the home, Levy disclosed to NewsNation affiliate KRON.
There were around 60 artisans and craftsmen working on the property, according to Levy.
“The Mayor’s Mansion” looks like a historic home, but it wasn’t built to feel that way.
“Everything old is new again,” Levy said. “Wherever you walk, there’s never a creak. It’s been seven years since they finished it. It’s all sub-filled with concrete material. It’s extraordinarily solid.”
The mansion has also received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
It is currently owned by CalTech University after the previous owner of the property passed away.
To learn more about the property, check the listing.