Historic Stick-Style Victorian

This spectacular Victorian was built in 1890 for Joseph Budde, an inventor, patent holder, and major manufacturer of the flush toilet. Through its more than 130-year life, this home evolved with the many incarnations of the Haight District. The most significant was the street modification that made way for the Haight Street railway line in the early 1920s. At that time, streets and sidewalks widened causing the straight-line, two-story staircase to literally take a turn.

In the 1920s, stucco and terrazzo were considered modern and low-maintenance materials, and were often used to replace the handmade residential carpentry that would have graced this spectacular staircase. Sometime during the 1990s the full entry door assembly was removed and replaced with another “modern” solution.

Our clients challenged Centoni to recreate the original staircase and entry.

Through a partnership with local artisans and support from San Francisco Historical Planners, team Centoni sourced information from the public library that included original photographs, writings on Cranston and Keenan, and the history of the Haight. Though no specific photo has yet to be sourced, we are confident the design choices made are in the spirit of the original and are based on remnants of the original porch discovered under the 1920’s stucco.

Through this journey, the staircase foundation was reengineered, the staircase designed and built, the original entry doors recreated, the stained glass transom created (including replication of the original hand-painted bird-theme rondels, many rotted decorated elements hand-carved, new and historic lighting installed, and a new iron handrail designed and fabricated.