Cable cars brought a scattering of Victorian residents to Presidio Heights after 1878, although it was still the outskirts of the city, and more than a decade before water and gas were piped in. By the turn of the century, affluent business and professional leaders were increasingly drawn to the generous sites with breathtaking views of the Golden Gate and nearby Presidio woods. Renowned architects of the day, including Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, Ernest Coxhead, William F. Knowles and Willis Polk, were adapting classic European designs to the natural look favored by contemporary arbiters of taste. Their trend-setting creations are found today along the Presidio wall... homes of great dignity with casual elegance and rustic charm... styles which became known as the First Bay Tradition.

This memorable tour included extraordinary homes opened especially for this event, including Le Petit Trianon, a luxurious replica of its namesake at Versailles which hosted a generation of famous musicians in concert, a variety of classically-styled townhomes, and a renowned Maybeck residence which is still the cherished home of its original family. A church considered one of the earliest Arts & Crafts buildings in California completed the roster of architecturally significant buildings featured on this tour.

We would like to thank all of the homeowners, attendees, and volunteers of our 2008 Presidio Heights House tour. The proceeds of this tour allowed us to donate over $45,000 to the Maybeck Foundation's project to restore the Palace of Fine Arts, the treasured gem of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition designed by Bernard Maybeck. We couldn't have done it without you! We are pleased to announce that the renovation has been completed and the Palace is once again open to the pubic and future generations.