The house was built in 1948 as a 600 SF fisherman's cabin. Aside from a small bathroom, the entire interior was one big room, way ahead of modern open floor plans.

A few years later, the orignal owners added 3 bedrooms, a larger bathroom and a family room. Then in the mid-90s, the owners who sold to us built a 700 SF second story ADU atop the rear of the house so multiple generations could live in separate households.

Throughout this time the property was also home to other species. Various pens and cages housed chickens, rabbits, a very large dog and other pets. Deer and monarchs came and went as they wished. For several years, the property was used as a whimsical pre-school as shown in this photo from Trulia.

We continue to learn more about the property's fascinating past. According to a prior owner:

"The backyard was a campground a long time ago. The structure in the back that fell down was a cooking shed for the campground. The brick path came from the original cannery on Cannery Row. The wood floor in the new addition in the back is said to be red oak that came from the dance floor of the Naval Post Graduate School."

Some of the most interesting discoveries on the property are shown below. Most of the photos show items just as they were found; others have been posed after removing the discoveries from their hiding places.

Discoveries

This place has so much potential! The challenge will be achieving that potential while preserving the property as a shady oasis for butterflies, Pagrovians and others who pass this way.

As the new owners, we intend to restore and upgrade the house, which is structurally sound, though suffering from a lot of deferred maintenance. Not much may look different for a while as we develop plans.

We'll also work with the city arborist to preserve the grand old trees and plant new ones that will be here for future generations. In the front yard, light pruning and removal of dead shrubs—and poison oak—has begun. In the back, some enormous trees have fallen, which we'll be starting to remove in the near future.

The plans and renderings displayed on this site are prelminary concepts that may change considerably before remodeling begins. Ideas and comments are welcome!