builder filesfile 02 of 57in San Francisco from about 1890boyenga team at compass
Ernest Coxhead homes
Ernest Coxhead came from England in 1886 and moved his practice to San Francisco around 1889–90, working with his brother Almeric as Coxhead & Coxhead until 1928. He designed shingled city houses in Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights, his own house on Green Street and a country house in San Mateo, and his friend Willis Polk worked briefly in his office. Here’s where the houses are, how to spot one and what they sell for.
- architect
- Ernest Coxhead (1863–1933)
- born
- Eastbourne, England
- firm
- Coxhead & Coxhead, with brother Almeric, until 1928
- office
- San Francisco, from about 1889–90
- styles
- shingled city houses; Tudor Revival on the Peninsula
- archive
- UC Berkeley Environmental Design Archives
- listings say
- “designed by Ernest Coxhead”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- Coxhead houses on the National Register2
where they are
Where his houses are
From National Register nominations, SF Planning and the Museum of American Heritage; listing-only credits are marked.
| house | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waybur and Porter houses, 3232–3234 Pacific Ave | San Francisco | 1901 | 2 | Shingled houses on the Presidio wall; the Waybur House was listed on the National Register in 2011, whose nomination calls it the work of a master architect. |
| Pacific Heights houses | San Francisco | 1895–1900 | 2 | 2800 Pacific Ave (1900), with a massive scrolled pediment, and 2600 Jackson St (1895), with a huge coat of arms, per the Waybur nomination. |
| His own house, 2421 Green St | San Francisco | 1893 | 1 | A shingled house that steps up its long, narrow lot, per the Waybur nomination. |
| 3362 Clay St | San Francisco | 1896 | 1 | A large angled bay over a small entry, per the Waybur nomination. |
| Coxhead House, 37 E. Santa Inez Ave | San Mateo | c. 1891–1893 | 1 | The brothers’ own country house, half-timbered with bowed gables; on the National Register since 2000 and later a bed and breakfast. |
| Williams House, 351 Homer Ave | Palo Alto | 1907 | 1 | A Tudor Revival house with Craftsman interiors, now owned by the city and run as the Museum of American Heritage. |
| Home Telephone Company building, 333 Grant Ave | San Francisco | 1908 | condos | San Francisco Landmark No. 141, now condominiums; secondary sources credit Coxhead & Coxhead. |
| Other listing credits | San Francisco, San Mateo, Woodside | — | — | Listings credit him with houses on Jackson and Laguna streets in San Francisco, W. Poplar Ave in San Mateo and a 1929 estate in Woodside; we couldn’t confirm them from records. |
Secondary indexes list more Coxhead houses in Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights; check SF Planning records before relying on a credit.
how to spot one
How to spot a Coxhead house
From the National Register nominations.
- scale
Big and small at once
He paired oversized classical pieces, like a massive pediment or huge brackets, with tiny ones, so the houses “seem both large and small at the same time,” per the Waybur nomination.
- shingles
Taut shingle walls
Flat, box-like walls of unpainted shingles with the door and windows set slightly off-center, per the Waybur nomination.
- entry
Small door, rising stair
A modest front door and low entry lead to a stair that climbs toward light, often placed over the entry hall.
- peninsula
English cottage on the Peninsula
Half-timbering, bowed gables, leaded windows and redwood paneling, with rooms that flow into one another, at the San Mateo house.
- myth check
Coxhead or attributed?
Listings often say “attributed to,” and some credit houses from after the partnership ended in 1928, so check the records.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Coxhead sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Ernest Coxhead, mostly in San Francisco and San Mateo. Hover a dot for the address, date and price.
- sales on record…
- median price…
- median $ per sq ft…
- latest sale…
one recorded salemedian for the yearprice per sq ft = sale price ÷ listed living area
| sold | address | price | $/sq ft | bd / ba | sq ft |
|---|
Some listings say “attributed to,” and one names a converted commercial building, so treat each credit as a lead to confirm. Sales come from the MLS records available to us and include every sold listing whose description names the builder, so a few homes may be labeled by the listing agent rather than confirmed from tract records. Sold data is shown with the listing brokerage. Price per square foot uses the living area in the listing. Ask us for a full comparable-sales report on any address.
on the market
For sale now
Active listings whose description names Ernest Coxhead.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- San Francisco recordsCheck SF Planning’s Property Information Map for landmark status, survey ratings and permits before planning changes.
- National Register housesNational Register listing alone doesn’t add city design review, but it can affect environmental review and Mills Act eligibility; San Francisco’s Mills Act has value limits unless the city grants an exception.
- San Mateo landmarksUnder San Mateo’s 2026 historic ordinance, altering a local landmark needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and National Register listing doesn’t make a house a local landmark by itself.
- Houses of the 1890sPlan for chimney and masonry, shingle, wiring, plumbing and foundation checks, and keep original redwood paneling unpainted. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Confirm the architectWe look for a National Register nomination, SF Planning records or archive drawings, since a listing credit alone isn’t proof.
- Permits and historyWe check the permit history for additions and conversions before you plan a remodel.
- InspectionsRoof, foundation and systems matched to the home’s age. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- The right comparablesWe compare against similar homes in the same neighborhood first.
How we market one when you sell
- Document the designA documented Coxhead design is part of the value; we gather the records that prove it.
- Photograph the detailsShingles, paneling, leaded glass and the stair, shot to show the design.
- Prep with a planOur Prep Lab budgets repairs and refresh before you list.
- Price from real salesWe price from recent sales of similar homes nearby.
questions
Questions we hear
Who was Ernest Coxhead?
An English-born architect (1863–1933) who came to California in 1886 with his brother Almeric and moved the practice to San Francisco around 1889–90. As Coxhead & Coxhead the brothers worked together until Almeric died in 1928; the design work is attributed to Ernest, per the Waybur House nomination.
Which Coxhead houses are on the National Register?
The Julian Waybur House at 3232 Pacific Ave in San Francisco (2011) and the Coxhead brothers’ own house at 37 E. Santa Inez Ave in San Mateo (2000).
How did he know Willis Polk?
Polk worked in Coxhead’s office for a few months, and the two remained lifelong friends, per the Waybur nomination.
How do I confirm a Coxhead house?
Check SF Planning’s Property Information Map, the National Register and UC Berkeley’s Environmental Design Archives, which hold a small Coxhead collection.
sources
Sources
National Register nominations, SF Planning, UC Berkeley, the City of San Mateo and the Museum of American Heritage, checked October 2026.
- National Park Service: Julian Waybur House nomination3232 Pacific Ave and Coxhead’s other San Francisco housesnpgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/e438a410-6471-4c57-b5ca-dfd74ddebd5c
- National Park Service: Ernest Coxhead House37 E. Santa Inez Ave, San Mateonpgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/00000322
- UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design: Ernest A. CoxheadHis career and archiveced.berkeley.edu/?p=13544
- SF Planning: Article 10 landmarks (Bulletin 9)Landmark No. 141, 333 Grant Avesfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_09.PDF
- Museum of American Heritage: who we areThe Williams House, Palo Altowww.moah.org/who-we-are
- City of San Mateo: Ordinance 2026-06The city’s historic preservation ruleslaw.cityofsanmateo.org/us/ca/cities/san-mateo/ordinances/2026/06
- SF Planning: Property Information MapHistoric status and permits for a San Francisco addresssfplanninggis.org/pim/
builder files
Every builder file, by era
Bars show the years each builder was building here. See all builders or the home styles field guide.
- Fernando Nelson1880–1920s
- Ernest Coxhead1890–1930s
- Willis Polk1890s–1920s
- Frank Delos Wolfe1892–1926
- Henry Gutterson1914–1954
- Gellert (Sunstream)1922–1972
- Birge Clark1922–1970s
- Stoneson1920s–1960s
- Doelger1927–1960s
- McKeon1927–early 1970s
- Gardner Dailey1930s–1960s
- William Wurster1930s–1960s
- Rousseau1931–1933
- Bohannon1936–1955
- Cliff May1950s
- Stern & Price1951–1953
- Mackay Homes1950s
- Goodwin Steinberg1950s–1980s
- Mardell1955–1959
- Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
- Ditz-Crane1962–1984
- Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
- Bahl1968–1986
- Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
- Shapell1971–2000s
- Anshen & Allen1940s–1960
- Jones & Emmons1951–1970s
- Claude Oakland1950s–1970s
- Owen Signature Homes1970–today
- Swatt | Miers1975–today
- SummerHill Homes1976–today
- Pinn Brothers1976–today
- Citation Homeslate 1970s–2010s
- Robson Homes1989–today
- Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
- Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
- Classic Communities1990s–2010s
- Warmington1990s–2020s
- Kelly Gordon2000s–2010s
- Feldman Architecture2003–today
- DeNova Homes2000s–today
- City Ventures2011–today
- Trumark Homes2012–today
- Davidon Homes2010s
- The New Home Company2014–2018
- Dividend Homes2010s–today
- KB Home1980s–today
- Brookfield1990s–today
- Pulte Homes2000s–today
- Shea Homes2000s–2010s
- Lennar2000s–today
- Toll Brothers2000s–today
- Taylor Morrison2007–today
- D.R. Horton2010s
- Tri Pointe Homes2012–today
- K. Hovnanian2014–2018
- Meritage Homes2010s
talk to a property nerd
Own an Ernest Coxhead house?
We can help document the design, check the historic rules and value it against recent sales nearby. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
