{"nrhp_refnum":"71000187","name":"Phelps, Abner, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1111 Oak St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Francisco","county":"San Francisco","state":"CA","lat":37.77280675500003,"lon":-122.43778018899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-05-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story wood-frame house in San Francisco, built about 1850-51 for Abner Phelps in a Louisiana-style vernacular form with Gothic Revival and classical details. It was moved to its current spot at 1111 Oak Street in 1978.","why_significant":"It is generally considered the oldest residence in San Francisco. The nomination presents it as a representative example of a Louisiana vernacular house type with Gothic detailing, and its origin stories add interest. Its 1978 move and restoration returned it to an open setting closer to its original rural one.","narrative":"Built around 1850-51 on a 160-acre homestead at the foot of Buena Vista Hill, this wooden house is generally regarded as the oldest residence in San Francisco. It was raised on slender pillars, with a veranda of Tuscan columns and turned spindle balustrades, a second-story balcony, French doors, and dormers with carved Gothic Revival bargeboards. Its origins are debated. One account credits John Middleton and Sons and says the house was framed in Maine. A family tradition holds that it came from New Orleans. Wood analysis found mostly redwood and Douglas fir, suggesting largely local materials. The house was moved in the 1890s and again in 1904, after which it sat hidden behind commercial buildings and decayed. In 1978 it was moved again, set on a concrete foundation, strengthened against earthquakes, and restored using original materials where possible. It now anchors a small historic plaza facing Oak Street.","period_of_significance":"1850-51","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Louisiana vernacular house with Gothic Revival and classical revival ornament","criteria":[],"status_note":"Moved 80 feet north and turned to face Oak Street in May 1978, then restored and seismically strengthened. It is the centre of the Phelps Place plaza.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.229563-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/71000187.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000187/93fb39683f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000187/93fb39683f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abner_Phelps_House_(San_Francisco).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abner_Phelps_House_(San_Francisco).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861248","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abner_Phelps_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35766529"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-francisco/phelps-abner-house-71000187/"}