The Painted Ladies

San Francisco, California

Architecture

5 Spectacular Works of Victorian Architecture To Visit in the U.S.

As a result of the 1849 gold rush, the population of San Francisco increased dramatically, fueling a housing boom.

As new homes were built, the elaborate Queen Anne style of architecture became popular during this time, and the city's most famous examples are the Painted Ladies, built between 1892 and 1896. These ornate row houses, located on Steiner Street across from Alamo Square Park, were the work of Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived at No. 722. There were other examples of similar houses at the time, but many were destroyed by the devastating fire that engulfed San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake. In the 1960s, the city decided to paint these properties to accentuate their signature architectural details — such as gable ends, overhanging eaves, covered porches, and lacy woodwork — turning them into one of the most photographed spots in the city today.

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