builder filesfile 04 of 42built c. 1920s–1960sboyenga team at compass
Stoneson homes
Brothers Henry and Ellis Stoneson came to San Francisco in the early 1920s, built their first house by 1928 and went on to build the Lakeside District and Stonestown: close to 15,000 homes and apartments in the city, by SF Planning’s count. After World War II they built tracts down the Peninsula, including Millbrae Meadows. Here’s where they are, how to spot one and what they sell for.
- builders
- Henry and Ellis Stoneson
- born
- Victoria, B.C.: Ellis 1893, Henry 1895
- early partner
- Fred Thorinson, by 1928
- later company
- Stoneson Development Corp.
- architect
- Harold G. Stoner, many early Lakeside homes
- sales office
- 1 Sloat Blvd, Streamline Moderne (since demolished)
- listings say
- “Stoneson home,” “Stoneson built”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- homes and apartments in San Francisco, per SF Planningabout 15,000
where they are
Where the homes are
From SF Planning’s Sunset context statement, local history and the Millbrae Historical Society. Listing-only credits are marked.
| tract | city | built | homes | streets and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary’s Park area | San Francisco | mid-1920s | — | South of the Mission District between Alemany Blvd and Crescent Ave: Mediterranean Revival houses by Stoneson Brothers & Thorinson, per SF Planning. |
| Lakeside District | San Francisco | 1936–1950 | — | Between Sloat Blvd, Junipero Serra Blvd, 19th Ave and Ocean Ave, including Lakeside Village and Stonecrest Dr, built at a reported pace of one house a day. Architect Harold G. Stoner designed many of the early homes, per local history. |
| Lake Merced area and Sunset tracts | San Francisco | 1930s–1940s | — | Smaller single-family tracts around Lake Merced and in the Sunset, per SF Planning, such as 1490 32nd Ave (1937). |
| Stonestown | San Francisco | 1949–1952 | 783 apartments | A 110-acre “city within a city” of townhouses, apartment towers and a shopping center by architect Angus McSweeney, per SF Planning. Built as rentals. |
| Millbrae Meadows | Millbrae | 1954–1962 | about 700 | Subdivisions #1 to #5 on the site of a former excavation pit, begun by the Stoneson company in 1954, per the Millbrae Historical Society; a local report puts the count at about 700 homes. |
| Crestmoor and Monte Verde | San Bruno | 1957 (listing) | — | Listings credit Stoneson with homes in Crestmoor Park #3 (1957) and Monte Verde. Another developer started Crestmoor, so check each address. |
SF Planning also lists postwar Stoneson tracts in San Mateo and Daly City without naming them, and a book credits Stoneson with Broadmoor Village after the war; we couldn’t confirm those. Outside our area the brothers built in Hayward, and a later Stoneson company built in Pleasanton.
how to spot one
How to spot a Stoneson home
From SF Planning, local history and listings.
- 1920s–30s
Period Revival fronts
SF Planning says the brothers usually built in traditional and Period Revival styles, and their 1920s tract used Mediterranean Revival designs.
- Lakeside
Detached homes by Harold Stoner
Lakeside’s one- and two-story detached houses were largely Harold G. Stoner designs, up to three-quarters of them by one biographer’s count, and period ads touted picket fences and underground utilities.
- 1952
A city within a city
Stonestown paired townhouses and apartment towers in a park setting with a 42-acre shopping center, per SF Planning.
- postwar
Peninsula ranch homes
Listings in Millbrae Meadows and San Bruno describe single-story mid-century ranch homes; we found no original plans.
- myth check
Stonestown isn’t a builder credit
Listings that mention Stonestown or Stonecrest Drive aren’t necessarily Stoneson homes, so the ledger counts only listings that name Stoneson.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Stoneson sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Stoneson, in San Francisco, Millbrae and San Bruno. 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 |
|---|
Most Stoneson homes sell without the builder named, so the ledger undercounts them. 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 Stoneson.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- San Francisco historic reviewSF Planning names the Stoneson brothers among the city’s master builders, which can matter when a house’s historic status is reviewed. Check the Property Information Map before planning exterior changes.
- Homes of this agePlan for foundation, seismic, sewer-lateral, electrical and plumbing checks. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- Built on fillMillbrae Meadows was built in a former excavation pit, so read the soils and geologic disclosures and check drainage.
- Old deed languageDeeds from this era sometimes carry discriminatory covenants. They’re void, and California lets owners record a modification that strikes the language.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Which tract?We match the address to its tract and year, since a 1930s Lakeside house and a 1950s Millbrae ranch are different houses to own.
- 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
- Tell the storyThe Stoneson name and tract are part of the value; we document them from records.
- Photograph the detailsOriginal windows, fireplaces and period details, shot to show what’s original.
- 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 were the Stoneson brothers?
Henry (born 1895) and Ellis (born 1893) Stoneson were born in Victoria, British Columbia, came to San Francisco in the early 1920s and built their first house by 1928, according to SF Planning. It credits them with close to 15,000 homes and apartments in the city.
Did the Stonesons build Lakeside?
Yes. SF Planning says they bought the land by 1937 and built the Lakeside tract at a reported pace of one house a day. Architect Harold G. Stoner designed many of the early homes.
Did they build on the Peninsula?
After World War II they built tracts in San Bruno, San Mateo, Millbrae and Daly City, per SF Planning. Millbrae Meadows, begun in 1954, is the one the Millbrae Historical Society names.
Is Stonestown a Stoneson project?
Yes. It opened in 1952 with 783 apartment units and a shopping center designed by Angus McSweeney, per SF Planning. Ellis Stoneson died a few weeks before it opened.
sources
Sources
SF Planning, local history and historical society records, checked October 2026.
- SF Planning: Sunset District Residential Builders historic context statement (adopted 2013)The Stonesons, Lakeside, Stonestown and their postwar tractsdefault.sfplanning.org/Preservation/sunset_survey/Adopted_SunsetHCS.pdf
- Western Neighborhoods Project: the Stoneson brothersTheir history and the Sloat Blvd sales officewww.outsidelands.org/stonesons.php
- Western Neighborhoods Project: Lakeside DistrictBoundaries, dates and early priceswww.outsidelands.org/lakeside-district.php
- Jacqueline Proctor: Harold G. StonerStoner’s work with the Stonesons at Lakesidemtdavidson.org/harold-g-stoner/
- Millbrae Historical Society: Millbrae neighborhoodsMillbrae Meadows, 1954–1962www.millbraehs.org/millbrae-neighborhoods.html
- California Homebuilding Foundation: Donald H. StonesonThe later Stoneson companywww.mychf.org/node/244
- SF Planning: Property Information MapHistoric status and permits for a San Francisco addresssfplanninggis.org/pim/
- California Government Code § 12956.2Recording a modification to strike unlawful covenantscalifornia.public.law/codes/ca_gov't_code_section_12956.2
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
- 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
- Mardell1955–1959
- Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
- Ditz-Crane1962–1984
- Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
- Bahl1968–1986
- Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
- Shapell1971–2000s
- SummerHill Homes1976–today
- Pinn Brothers1976–today
- Robson Homes1989–today
- Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
- Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
- Classic Communities1990s–2010s
- Warmington1990s–2020s
- DeNova Homes2000s–today
- City Ventures2011–today
- Trumark Homes2012–today
- 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 a Stoneson home?
We can document its tract and era, 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.
