SAN FRANCISCO HERITAGE
Docent leading a group through the Haas-Lilienthal House in early 1980s. (Heritage archives.)
In 1973, while in the process of rescuing dilapidated Victorian buildings in the Western Addition, San Francisco Heritage was entrusted with the care of the magnificent Haas-Lilienthal House.
The home's last resident, Alice Haas Lilienthal, was the youngest child of William and Bertha Haas and the widow of prominent businessman Samuel Lilienthal. She died on July 2, 1972, and the following year SF Heritage co-founder Charles Hall Page contacted her heirs to inquire what the family’s plans were for the unoccupied house. The new nonprofit organization needed a home as its work grew, and Page was ready to hire permanent staff. In response, Alice and Samuel’s children agreed to entrust stewardship of the house to Heritage, including its artwork and original furniture, while niece Madeleine Haas Russell, who grew up in the house when she was orphaned, supplied an endowment. Heritage had a headquarters and a ready-made house-museum to serve as a core of educational programming.
Docent-led tours after immersive program Earthquake! with SF Heritage and the Gregangelo Museum, April 2026.
In addition to office space for Heritage staff and room for events and lectures, the property included a separate apartment unit to provide a source of revenue for the young nonprofit organization. Within weeks, Heritage was using the house for member meetings and educational lectures. A gala celebration for members was held at the house on September 20, 1973. Regular docent-led tours began two months later, establishing the city’s only Victorian-era house museum.
The Haas-Lilienthal House is City Landmark no. 69, has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a National Treasure, and is an ongoing symbol of Heritage’s dedication to the responsible stewardship of historic buildings.
For over fifty years in SF Heritage’s care, the house has hosted history programs, weddings, teas, concerts, dances, conferences, and served as a headquarters for dozens of volunteers and employees to further the organization's mission of preservation.
Read more about SF Heritage's stewardship of the house here, and visit their website at www.sfheritage.org to become a member and learn more about historic preservation in San Francisco.
SF Heritage's Heritage Hikes program at the house with third graders, 2025.
