A Colonial Revival mansion designed by Edward Vogel and built in 1897 for Richard Spreckels, a nephew of the sugar magnate Claus Spreckels and a cousin of the better-known Adolph Spreckels Jr. At 8,400 square feet, it is one of the largest single-family houses in the neighborhood.
The literary history is dense. Both Jack London and Ambrose Bierce stayed and wrote here in the early twentieth century. In the 1960s the ballroom on the top floor was converted into “Buena Vista Studios,” a recording space where the Grateful Dead recorded some of their first demos.
Later owners include the musician Graham Nash and the actor Danny Glover, who bought it for $1.55 million in 1990. The house was granted to Glover’s ex-wife in 2003. In 2014 it sold to an LLC (“737 Buena Vista”) for $10 million.
The view from the front porch covers the eastern half of the city. The house cannot be entered without an invitation. Private residence. Walk past, photograph from the sidewalk, and continue.