Finding Romance in San Francisco’s
Historic ‘French Chateau’

By George Medovoy, Editor

So much history in the City by the Bay...

I'm peering through a window on the third floor of The Archbishop's
Mansion. Across the street, in Alamo Square Park, a grove of trees huddles in the late afternoon rain.

So much history...

In 1904, two years before the San Francisco earthquake, Alamo Square was San Francisco's most fashionable location. As the city gradually changed from a Gold Rush town to a powerful commercial and social center, Archbishop Patrick Riordan, San Francisco's second archbishop, busied himself building churches, schools and hospitals.

Modeled After Belle Epoch Chateau

In 1904 he also built himself an imposing official residence at the corner of 1000 Fulton and Steiner Streets. Modeled after a French belle epoch chateau, the residence became a symbol of the church's prominence in San Francisco's religious and social life. And thanks to its solid construction, the chateau also withstood the terrible earthquake of 1906.

Thanks, indeed, because today visitors can enjoy the residence in its metamorphosis as The Archbishop's Mansion, an elegant small hotel during weekend getaways to the city.

On a recent visit, I discovered one visual delight after another in the venerable mansion...like the ornate French-style parlor topped by a chandelier once used in the film classic "Gone with the Wind," and a 1904 Bechstein baby grand piano once owned by none other than Noel Coward.

(The Carmen Suite with its inviting bathtub)

The spacious dining room, with its large mahogany table, can accommodate up to 50 people. And heat? Well, in addition to modern heating, the mansion offers a total of 18 fireplaces to keep you warm — while adding plenty of atmosphere, too.

But the most dramatic trapping of all, I think, is the wide mahogany staircase, at the top of which is an original oval-leaded skylight that lets in the warmth and glow of sunny San Francisco mornings.

Once, when the entire house was rented out for a wedding, a mariachi band made its musical way down that stately staircase!
Seen in the PBS television series "Tales of the City," the mansion has 15 spacious rooms and five suites, and with its close proximity to the San Francisco Opera House at the other end of Fulton, every room and suite bears the name of a well-known opera.

Occupying the "Don Gionanni"

Thus, you could find yourself occupying the "Don Giovanni" or, as in my case, the "Cosi Fan Tutti."

The latter comes with a sitting room and fireplace, French doors that lead into a bedroom with an ornately crafted four-poster bed, and, finally, one of those big, airy bathrooms so common in the 19th century. From the bay window, there's an incomparable view of Alamo Square Park.

Before the rains came, I ventured over to the park and imagined the 12.7-acre area the way it was after the earthquake — as a tent city offering refuge to the many poor souls who had lost their homes to the earthquake.

(The La Boheme suite)

I could let my imagination wander even further to a time when the park area was known as Alamo Hill — and local Indians delighted in its spectacular surrounding views.

Today, Alamo Park offers visitors not only a view of the modern city, but tennis courts and pathways, as well. Several live springs still exist.

From the park, I walked over to a sloping section of the 700 block of Steiner Street, between Grove and Hayes, to gaze at San Francisco's famous "Painted Ladies" -- those elegant Victorian homes nestled beneath the city's modern skyline.

The Archbishop's Mansion will provide guests with a printed, self-guided tour of nearby Victorians, including nine of the city's most elegant mansions.

For example: Chateau Tivoli, a four-story brown-green-and-turquoise home at 1057 Steiner, described as "a fairy-tale Victorian" with a dizzying mix of cupolas, witches-hat bowers, balconies and gabled roofs, friezes and curlicues.

The White Russian Consulate

John Mahoney, who built the St. Francis and Sheraton Palace Hotels, lived in the Tivoli for a time. In the 1920's, the White Russian consulate purchased it and opened a Russian restaurant in the basement called "Dark Eyes." The structure's most unusual occupant, though, was a magician who burned 500 candles continually in its tower room!

(The Dining Room)

Back at The Archbishop's Mansion, it was time for Saturday afternoon wine and cheese, as the innkeeper announced with a flourish: "Without further delay, I will bring the wine service out."

And soon after the wine and cheese, he walked over to the 1904 Bechstein baby grand and turned it on.

I could almost hear the words to a wonderful old melody: "You must remember this...a kiss is just a kiss..."

IF YOU GO....
The Archbishop's Mansion is located at 1000 Fulton St., half a mile
from Golden Gate Park and less than three miles from Ghirardelli Square.

Information and reservations: Joie de Vivre Hotels, (800) 543-5820 or visit www.jdvhospitality.com.

Reservations must be secured by a deposit of the first and last night's room rate, refundable with a seven-day advance notice. Two-night minimum stay Friday and Saturday.