Hartford Properties Steeped In History

Welcome to the official launch of the Hartford Properties blog. In addition to providing details about properties we are representing and seminars being held at our office, this blog will be a venue for highlighting multiple aspects of why the Bay Area is such a great place to call home. From historical information and local businesses to communities and upcoming events, check in at Hartford Properties for the latest.

This week, we'd like to take a moment to feature our own office located at 1427 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 at 25th Street. According to San Francisco's Planning Department, this Victorian grand dame was constructed in the 1890s and occupied by John A. Christen and family who were the owners/operators of Christen Creamery.

Our office was the home of the Christen family and the barn in the back and eventually the property next door were where the dairy operations took place. Upon relocating to our present location, the Christen name was duly noted (it's imbedded in the front porch!) which resulted in researching who our predecessors were.

So, what's it like to work in a place of living history? It's an honor, a privilege and our office is still very much the Christen House. The structure is composed of a grand parlor and dining room, a kitchen and pantry, four bedrooms and two staircases (a grand one in our entry way and one for service behind). The house, of course, went through some changes in interior design depending on what was popular at the time. One of those changes was the installation of a wet bar in the closet under the grand staircase. The wallpaper in there is looks like it could be featured in an episode of Mad Men!