Havens, Weston, House
Why it's listed
Set high in the Berkeley hills along Panoramic Way, this house was designed by Harwell Hamilton Harris for Weston Havens and finished in December 1941. From the street it shows little more than an ivy-covered wall with a garage opening, while the house itself blends into a steep, wooded slope. Havens, heir to a Berkeley pioneer family and a patron of the arts, took an active part in the design. Their collaboration produced what the source calls one of the most important works of American mid-century modern residential architecture. The house appeared in an exhibit at the San Francisco World's Fair and drew wide coverage in magazines such as House Beautiful. In 1957 an Architectural Record survey placed it in a tie for ninth among the most significant works of architecture in the United States, alongside Richard Neutra's Lovell Health House. One juror compared its response to its site with that of Falling Water. Its reputation later faded from the architectural canon.
Significance in brief: The nomination text presents it as one of the most important works of American mid-century modern residential architecture and the high point of Harris's career. It was featured in an exhibit at the San Francisco World's Fair, ranked alongside Neutra's Lovell House by the AIA, and compared to Falling Water for its response to a steep site. It is described as a leading domestic expression of San Francisco Bay Area regional modernism, shaped by a close architect-client partnership.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000597, listed June 11, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 255 Panoramic Way, Berkeley |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | June 11, 2008 |
| Reference number | 05000597 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Harwell Hamilton Harris (architect) |
| Architectural style | Modern (mid-century modern, Bay Area regionalism) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The text says the house was still occupied by its original client until his death in 2001; its current condition and use are not stated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.87082, -122.24844 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000597.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123280913
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.