Boyd House
Also known as: The Gate House
Why it's listed
Set into a hillside at 1125 B Street in San Rafael, this Victorian Gothic house was built in 1879 for Ira Cook at a cost of $10,000. Adam Murray was the builder and probably the designer. The wood-frame building rises three stories on its south and west sides and has steep shingled roofs, carved brackets, jigsaw ornament and heavy window moldings. Its design follows A.J. Downing's cottage style, common in New York, where Cook had lived. Its size looks larger from outside than it proves to be inside. The house later passed to John Franklin Boyd and Louise Cook Arner Boyd as a wedding gift. After their two sons died young, the family offered the house and grounds to San Rafael as a memorial park, dedicated in 1905. Their daughter Louise Arner Boyd became a world-famous explorer. Since 1945 the Marin County Historical Society has operated the building as a local history museum. It was listed for its architecture and its association with a prominent local family.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the most elaborate and picturesque 19th century houses in Marin County. It is also tied to several generations of a family prominent in local history, including the Cooks and the Boyds, and to Louise Arner Boyd, a world-famous explorer.
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 74000528, listed December 17, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1125 B St., San Rafael |
|---|---|
| County | Marin County |
| Listed | December 17, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000528 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (1879) |
| Architect / builder | Adam Murray, builder and probably the designer |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic, basically A.J. Downing "Cottage Style" |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered, on its original site. Occupied as a local history museum by the Marin County Historical Society under an agreement with the City of San Rafael since 1945; only the main floor is open to the public. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.97546, -122.52949 (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 74000528.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133295544
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.