LEWIS ARK (Houseboat)
Also known as: The Ark
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1906, probably at or near Belvedere in Marin County, the Lewis Ark is a wooden houseboat about 50 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a rounded barge-like bottom and a one-story house of six rooms. A roofed veranda encircles it. Inside are dark wood paneling, sliding doors, built-in beds, closets and dressers, a brick and iron fireplace, a galley with original cupboards and an ice box, and a pump organ from about 1915. Houseboats like this, called arks, were a San Francisco Bay phenomenon from the 1880s, used as summer homes and, after the 1906 earthquake and fire, as refuge homes. Many were trapped in a Belvedere lagoon when a drawbridge was made permanent in 1939. The ark took its name from Rear Admiral Robert Lewis, who lived aboard from 1959 to 1968. It was donated to the state, moved to Hyde Street Pier in 1969, and is valued as the last essentially unaltered example of its kind.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the ark is a typical example of the San Francisco Bay houseboats that were developed in the 1880s, and the last essentially unaltered one. It represents a type of maritime residential architecture that has vanished from the Bay. It is regarded as locally significant.
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 79000256, listed November 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Hyde St. Pier, San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | November 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000256 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; moved to Hyde Street Pier in 1969 and open for public display as a museum exhibit since late 1969. The form checks the status as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.80941, -122.42148 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79000256.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.