A two-block stretch of fairytale homes is hidden in San Francisco
By Kasia Pawlowska,Local EditorMarch 4, 2025 SF Gate
“Surprise House” — that’s what builder and architect Oliver Rousseau called his newest “patio plan” home design at 1578 35th Ave. in San Francisco’s Sunset District in 1933. In February of that year, close to 6,000 people came to see the unveiling of this latest innovation, which was also the debut of hardwood floors in Rousseau’s home designs. Even in the depth of the Great Depression, the Rousseaus’ Boulevard Tract was going to make an impression.
The Sunset is a place of uniformity, at least architecturally speaking. Rows of pastel homes stretch endlessly beneath the neighborhood’s signature thick fog, their boxy silhouettes emblematic of the post-World War II boom. Henry Doelger, the developer most closely associated with the area, once constructed as many as two nearly identical homes per day, creating a wave of repetition that stretches toward the Pacific. But in this ocean of seeming conformity, the Rousseau tract is a fairytale respite — a two-block stretch where 93 homes defy monotony and ooze fantastical opulence.
At a time when most builders were cutting corners, Oliver and his brother Arthur Rousseau, sons of a prolific Belgian architect who immigrated to San Francisco in the 1880s, went big. Their novel style earned recognition from contemporaries, with the San Francisco Examiner writing on Dec. 3, 1932, “The homes are exceptional to San Francisco because of the fact that they are of a new design.”
Pioneering the Sunset District
The Rousseau brothers were not just builders but trained architects with distinctive creations throughout San Francisco. They were also instrumental in the initial development of infrastructure and housing in the Sunset. Known citywide for their designs, the brothers “entered into the burgeoning Sunset District speculation market, and within a few short weeks were among the largest landholders there,” according to San Francisco City Planning.
Sunset District dunes, near Taraval and 39th Avenue, looking north, 1939.
OpenSFHistory / wnp28.1168
As early as Oct. 31, 1925, the San Francisco Examiner heralded the Rousseaus’ ambitions in an article titled “Rousseaus to Boost Sunset.” The story said that Arthur Rousseau was “giving a tremendous impetus to the movement to build and develop the great unimproved areas in the Sunset,” a district then labeled as “Great Sand Waste” on many contemporary maps. This wasn’t an exaggeration — vast portions of the neighborhood, particularly the areas flanking Sunset Boulevard, were undeveloped dunes.
City planning documents reveal that the brothers played a crucial role in persuading local politicians to invest in Sunset area transit and influenced city zoning and policies related to the district — even paying “for grading, street lighting, and street paving on large blocks of their own.”
The Rousseau brothers had substantial financial resources that enabled them to fully realize their architectural vision. While Arthur Rousseau made his mark as a builder, he gained greater public recognition for his sailing expertise. Known as the “Old Fox,” he earned a reputation as being “unbeatable on San Francisco Bay.” His brother Oliver was known for different pursuits: He was an accomplished duck hunter and wine connoisseur, interests that were noted in local publications.
A historical view of composite aerial images of San Francisco’s Sunset District (highlighted in blue), 1938-39, with the area containing Rousseau-style homes (highlighted in red).
Screenshot via SFPlanning.org/David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
These well-connected brothers drew on their resources to leave a lasting mark on San Francisco. Through their realty company, the duo developed more than 150 lots in the Sunset District. But their most distinctive work is most visible between Kirkham and Lawton streets, bounded by 34th and 36th avenues in the fantastical tract that bears their name.
Architectural marvels
Conical turrets topped with pirate ships pierce the mist. Wrought-iron details catch what little sunlight filters through. Yucca-lined sidewalks lead past Tudor Revival homes with their distinctive half-timbering, jazz-stuccoed Spanish Colonial Revival treasures adorned with terra-cotta tiles and creamy French Provincial models with their tall, graceful windows.
Exterior views of Rousseau-style homes in San Francisco’s Sunset District, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
The residences were marketed at remarkably affordable prices for their quality and elevated design. According to San Francisco Examiner ads, Rousseau homes ranged from about $5,500 to $7,500 in the mid-1930s — the equivalent of about $125,000 to $175,000 today. These prices were advertised as spectacular values back then, as well, with Oliver boasting that the homes offered “the finest values for the money available” in the Examiner.
Oliver bought in, too. His architectural legacy took magnificent form in a sprawling Spanish Colonial Revival mansion at 36th Avenue and Lawton Street, designed to be a dream home for his family.
An exterior view of the Spanish Colonial Revival mansion Oliver Rousseau built for himself in San Francisco’s Sunset District, as seen on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
But the brothers weren’t just concerned with curb appeal. Their signature “patio plan” designs incorporated interior courtyards that blurred the line between indoor and outdoor space. This Rousseau style became so influential that architects and builders — including Doelger — began mimicking them. Now, their aesthetic fingerprints can be found outside of the Sunset District, with imitators who tried to capture the magic of their designs in neighborhoods throughout San Francisco and beyond.
Preservation debate
Today, like many San Francisco treasures worthy of architectural preservation, the Rousseaus’ Boulevard Tract sits in limbo. In 2012, the area was proposed for landmark district designation, with an additional survey conducted in 2016. However, the process stalled in 2018 due to homeowner concerns.
“We held several walking tours and community meetings, but the neighborhood was not interested in moving forward with landmark designation at that time,” said Shannon Ferguson, a senior preservation planner at San Francisco Planning, in an email to SFGATE. Ferguson noted that 50% of neighbors need to support the landmark designation before moving forward, which was a number they did not have at the time.
Recent developments may change this calculus. The evolving project at 2700 Sloat Blvd. in the Outer Sunset, a five-minute drive from the Rousseau tract, has raised alarms about neighborhood character. Initially proposed as a 50-story tower, the project faced significant community opposition and was withdrawn in May 2024. In February of this year, preliminary permits were filed for a building about half the size — a roughly 400-apartment, 22-story tower — with construction potentially starting as early as November, though, again, the community response has largely been chilly. A group called Save Our Neighborhoods has gathered 4,000 signatures opposing the project, as reported in SFist.
With new state housing laws like Senate Bill 423 and Senate Bill 439 loosening regulations on larger developments and weakening local control over housing decisions, historic designation has emerged as a tool for maintaining community input.
“Now neighborhoods are looking to get designated, whereas before, I don’t think they saw the benefit,” said Woody LaBounty, president and CEO of San Francisco Heritage. “Now they’re like, ‘Oh, there’s all these new state housing laws that streamline the process of which you can tear down a building and build a new building.’”
For homeowners concerned about preserving neighborhood character, historic designation offers several potential benefits, including property tax reductions through the Mills Act and a new state historic tax credit program with up to 20% tax deductions.
Nearly a century later, the homes that helped define a burgeoning neighborhood in a difficult time still stand. Even today, real estate listings highlight their Rousseau pedigree, a testament to their enduring quality and craftsmanship. As San Francisco navigates new housing and preservation battles, their legacy persists, but it remains to be seen what influence it will have on the city’s evolving landscape.
