Built in 1907 as Tivoli Hall and once home to San Francisco’s Socialist Party (at which point it was known as “Equality Hall”) as well as the International Longshoreman’s Association, 143 Albion Street was seismically retrofitted and remodeled as a 4,500-square-foot home with a three-story great room in 2009.
And “Albion Hall” is now on the market with an asking price of $6.5 million.
The Hall’s lower-level family room opens to a rear year and garden with a requisite fire pit.
And the master bedroom (one of four) and bathroom (one of four and one-half) occupy the third floor, above which there’s an office, bathroom and roof deck.
Almost worth it just for the irony.
My first thought too. What’s next – turning the SF Food Bank into a single family home with a private bowling alley and movie theater? Re-making Glide into an “Incubator” office space? Turning City Lights into a “blow dry bar”?
I love it! The gang of 4 will turn this city into a playground for the rich and tenant activists will be homeless.
thank you.
How does one heat something like that?
You just burn piles of cash.
My first thought as well. Second thought was how dark the middle section of that “room” is.
Caveat. I can’t afford it. But I do like the look. The one minor issue I would have – a blue oven???
Perhaps the Devil made them do it.
I can’t be 100% sure, but blue ovens are strictly made by high end appliance manufacturers like Blue Star Ovens which are amazing.
I like it, except for that mirror behind the stove/counter. I can’t imagine trying to keep that clean with regular cooking. But then again, I guess if you can afford the house you have “people” to take care of that!
So awkward as a living space, despite the spin realtors will put on it.
Basically, you’re still living inside a big church.
I had the overwhelming need to pray and light a few candles in the main room. Still, they did a nice job with the interior. This is a home meant for entertaining. VCs?
Basically, you’re living in a loft.
I like it, and no need to worry about throwing a party so big you can’t accommodate everyone! But certainly not for everyone.
It is definitely an unusual living space but I find it quite stunning (from the pictures at least – could have a very different feel to be inside it in person). I’m a fan.
It’s far from perfect, but I’d take it over one of the hundreds of boxy pieces of crap going up around the city. It’s certainly not for everyone, but definitely has character.
The oven matches the skylight.
An en suite steam room. Definitely a nice San Francisco touch.
The staging is great here as well. Very tasteful.
I wish that I could buy it, rip out the interior and turn it into a performance space.
Agreed. Still feels very strongly like a cool public gathering place. Turning it into a SFH seems like a waste, unless whoever buys entertains a lot. I could see a bunch of house concerts here, or even parties with acrobatics with that ceiling, but the kitchen being right there makes it feel a little weird though. Almost wish they went even crazier with the decor and interiors to match having 3-story arched ceilings, but it’s probably better to leave that to the buyer’s interior designer.
Was this Tom Waddell’s house?
Yes
I love it. Ironic, yes, but quite a nice transformation.
I have a skylight over my shower too and I love it, but I don’t have neighbors’ windows affording a view into the shower. Not sure if that was the right move for a shower in that location.
You can have opaque glass for the shower skylights to prevent direct view. Do the shower skylights open or are they fixed?
I think you mean translucent glass. For example frosted glass. Opaque means that no light is transmitted.
Thank God! There are so many former poor houses, nunneries and old age homes that would convert to awesome single family dwellings! More of this, please.
All the decent monasteries and convents are gone…
The living room cries out for a grand piano.
saw it today. the full bath on the mezzanine with the shower window is quite odd and off-putting in person, it’s true. why isn’t that just a half bath?
$6.5 mil and no garage?
incorrrect. parking for 3, down
Can your neighbors see you taking a shower? Easily fixed with an opaque window. Unless you are an exhibitionist.
sure, but why is the shower even there? go see the property man. you’ll see. it’s weird.
It used to belong to Dr. Tom Waddel, Olympic winner, who started the Gay Games. He was part of a lawsuit when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the International Olympics; said gays can not use the word olympics.
They allow Special Olympics, Dog Olympics, etc.., but not Gay Olympics. I was in the house many times from 1991-2005 while two gay men, Roger and Eric from England were there. Tom’s wife, Sarah Lowenstein, sold the house around then.
I’ll buy it and make it into a kinky queer cantankerous old folks home!
I’m curious as to what the other unit on the property is, and if it has yard/roof deck rights. This is listed as a condo, not a SFH.
UPDATE: Converted Mission District Meeting Hall Fetches $6.5M
It’s hard for me to believe that this building was not built for use as a church considering the architectural beams in the interior of the roof.