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Overview

The Herspring House was a notable example of the Second Bay Region tradition with tis low-slung, one-story lines, redwood cladding (inside and out) and its emphasis on the unification of indoor and outdoor living spaces. Leading architects of this Second Bay Region style included William W. Wurster, Gardner A. Dailey, John Ekin Dinwiddie, John Funk, Clarence Mayhew and Albert Henry Hill. among others. The Herspring House was designed while Hill was part of a brief but interesting architectural partnership with the German architect Erich Mendelsohn and Dinwiddie.

Building History

Architect Albert Henry Hill (1913-1984) designed this residence for the wealthy San Francisco food broker Sydney Samuel Herspring (born 10/17/1888 in CA-d. 06/02/1962 in CA) and his wife Alice M. Herspring (born 06/06/1888 in CA-d. 12/02/1974 in San Francisco, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: San Rafael, Marin, California; Roll: 551; Page: 57; Enumeration District: 21-57A, accessed 07/24/2024.) In 1942, Sydney Herspring operated the S.S. Herspring Company at 12 Market Street in San Francisco. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 07/24/2024.)

Building Notes

In 1950, 1 Upper Toyon Drive was considered part of the San Rafael, CA, census district.

The Herspring House was awarded a 2020 AIA East Bay Design for Integration Residential Commendation. This was awarded to Fischer Architecture | Interiors | Gardens.

Alteration

The Zazzara Family, who purchased the Herspring House in 2013 for $2.9 million, spent three years, between 2015 and 2018, to restore and add onto the house. All tallied, they spent about $3.6 million to buy and restore the property.

PCAD id: 25374