S.F.’s historic Fay House badly needs repairs

The Fay House, a block from the crooked portion of San Francisco's Lombard Street, stands as a quiet reminder of the grand, gardened homes of 19th century Russian Hill.

For some, this showcase property stands too quietly.

Willed to San Francisco 15 years ago, the house at 2366 Leavenworth St. has gone mostly unused - and largely neglected - under city stewardship. Leaking water has damaged the ceilings, the interior walls are peeling, and the plumbing and electrical systems have become dated, if not unusable.

Many who have visited the house say the valuable real estate, sublime views of the bay and slice of local history are assets going to waste.

"The city has a responsibility to maintain this site," said Pam-Anela Messenger, who is part of a citizens advisory committee advocating for the property. "It could be a very interesting period-piece house. I think it deserves that recognition."

Officials with the Recreation and Park Department, which owns the site, say they simply don't have the estimated $1 million needed for restoration.

They've made the garden behind the house a priority and, to their credit, the rose beds, boxwood hedges, fruit trees and twin gazebos designed by noted landscape architect Thomas Church are well maintained by groundskeepers and volunteers.

The garden, which is open to the public as a small park, has become a tourist destination as well as a popular venue for weddings. But the house, which remains closed to the public, is another story.

Fixing it would require taking money away from more widely used park sites, said Sarah Ballard, spokeswoman for the park department.

"Like everything, it's a trade-off," she said. "When you're choosing between a playground or pool where children learn to swim and a house that at this point has no purpose, the choice is pretty obvious."

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S.F.'s historic Fay House badly needs repairs