home stylesplate 04 of 09built c. 1920s–1940sboyenga team at compass
Tudor, storybook & traditional homes the period revivals
Steep gables, half-timbering, big chimneys and grouped casement windows, and in San Francisco's Sunset, storybook houses built to look old on purpose. Period revival houses filled residence parks and tracts from the 1920s into the 1940s. Here is how to read one, where to find them, and every one listed for sale now.
- for sale now · live…
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- selling silicon valley since1996
how to spot one
How to spot a period revival from the sidewalk
The drawing is a Tudor Revival with storybook touches. Hover or tap a number to match it to the list.
Steep front gable
A steeply pitched gable facing the street, often crossing a side-gabled main roof.
Half-timbering
Decorative, non-structural timbers set into stucco to suggest medieval framing.
Prominent chimney
A large brick, stone or stucco chimney, often on the front of the house.
Grouped casements
Tall, narrow casement windows with small panes, set in groups.
Mixed wall materials
Stucco with brick, stone, clapboard or shingles, sometimes all on one front.
Storybook touches
Rolled eaves that imitate thatch, false stone, turrets or dovecotes for an aged, handmade look.
on the market
Tudor, storybook and traditional homes for sale now
Every active listing in our service area that the MLS tags Tudor, Traditional, Colonial or French, or whose description says Tudor, storybook (pre-1951), Cape Cod, French country, English cottage or Colonial Revival. The MLS uses Traditional for houses of many eras, so check the year built.
Loading live listings from the MLS…
How homes land here: we read each active listing’s MLS style field and its description, then check the year built. “MLS-tagged only” keeps the homes whose listing agent picked this style. Orange pins are MLS-tagged. Some listings record a style only in fields this search can’t filter on, so a few may not appear here; ask us for a full search. Listing data comes from the MLS and is shown with the listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent.
where to find them
Where period revival homes cluster
Neighborhoods where our guides, city inventories and planning documents record Tudor, storybook, French and Colonial Revival houses. Each name opens the full guide.
San Francisco
- Forest HillIndividually designed period revival houses, with picturesque storybook designs added in the 1920s.
- Ingleside TerracesEarly storybook and English-cottage designs, later Spanish and Italian revivals.
- St. Francis WoodA residence park of period revival houses where no single style was required.
- Outer SunsetTract rows with French Provincial, Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean and Tudor fronts.
- ParksidePicturesque Period Revival tracts on Planning's survey lists.
- MarinaA row of 1927–28 period-revival bungalows on Baker Street.
- Presidio HeightsLarge houses over raised basements in Tudor, French Provincial, Colonial and other revival styles.
Peninsula
- San Mateo Park, San MateoTudor Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival houses, with a concentration of French Eclectic ones.
- Burlingame Park, BurlingameTudor and Mediterranean styles joined the Craftsman houses by the mid-1920s.
- Burlingame Terrace, BurlingameMostly filled in during the 1910s and 1920s, Tudor included.
- Leland Manor & Garland, Palo Alto1930s houses from Tudor Revival to Monterey Colonial.
- Crescent Park, Palo Alto1920s period-revival houses beside postwar houses and new two-story ones.
- College Terrace, Palo AltoEnglish cottages among Victorians and Craftsman houses.
San Jose
- Rose GardenA 1923 Tudor Revival on Emory Street and a 1917 Dutch Colonial Revival on McKendrie Street are City Landmarks.
- Shasta / Hanchett ParkA 1939 Tudor Revival on Hanchett Avenue became a City Landmark in 2019.
- Naglee ParkTudor Revival designs among the bungalows and Queen Annes.
- Buena VistaDutch Colonial and Colonial Revival houses and a Tudor on the inventory.
Los Gatos & Campbell
- Broadway, Los GatosColonial Revival houses and a Norman French house designed by Henry Crall.
- White Oaks, CampbellThe 1928 Tudor Revival-style Earl and Virginia Young House.
inside
What you find inside
- sunset plan
Living over the garage
In San Francisco's Sunset tracts the garage takes the ground story and the living rooms sit above it, on a 25-foot lot.
- sunset plan
Tunnel entry
From 1938, many Sunset houses used a tunnel entry: a passage from the street to a recessed court and a stair up to the front door.
- sunset plan
A patio up top
Oliver Rousseau's 1932 plan with an open-air top-story patio was widely copied.
- residence park
Detached garages and alleys
In residence parks such as St. Francis Wood, larger houses sit on bigger lots served by alleys and detached garages.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Steep roofs and their materialsSlate, clay tile and shake all appear on Tudor Revival roofs. Have a roofer confirm the material and condition, and the flashing at valleys, chimneys and dormers.
- Half-timber and stucco jointsCheck where timbers meet stucco for gaps, rot and water entry, and the stucco for cracks.
- ChimneysHave masonry stacks and flues inspected for cracking, mortar and how they are tied to the house.
- Foundation and boltingConfirm the foundation type and any bolting and cripple-wall bracing. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers retrofit grants for wood-framed houses built before 1980 on raised foundations in designated ZIP codes, with registration open for a limited time each year.
- Lead paintFor houses built before 1978, sellers must disclose known lead-based paint and give buyers the federal pamphlet, and buyers get a 10-day window to inspect.
- Asbestos before remodelingSuspect materials can't be identified by sight. EPA advises sampling by an accredited professional before a remodel disturbs them.
- Rooms behind the garageIn garage-under houses, confirm that any rooms or units behind the garage were permitted.
- Check what Traditional meansThe MLS label isn't tied to one era. Check permit and assessor records for the year built, then apply the checks for that age.
How we market one when you sell
- Name the style preciselyTudor Revival, storybook, French Provincial or Colonial Revival, backed by the visible features, rather than just traditional.
- Show the craft detailsPhotograph the half-timbering, chimney, casements, entry and any ironwork or decorative stone.
- Document the year builtPermit and assessor dates separate a 1920s–40s revival from a later builder home.
- Roof and chimney reportsOrder them before listing, since buyers will focus on both.
- Disclose any Mills Act contractContracts transfer to new owners, so buyers need to see it.
San Francisco may require a Historic Resource Evaluation for older houses, and its Sunset survey identified a Picturesque Period Revival Tracts district of 253 buildings in 13 tracts built from 1931 to 1938. San Jose requires a Historic Preservation Permit for exterior work on City Landmarks. We check the rules for a specific address before you plan changes.
questions
Questions we hear
What makes a house storybook?
San Francisco Planning describes storybook (about 1930–1935) as an exaggerated take on medieval forms, with turrets, dovecotes and artificial weathering to suggest age. Local examples are mostly in Sunset District tracts.
How is French Provincial different from Tudor?
French Provincial houses use a mansard roof, symmetry, quoins and small iron balconies. Tudor Revival relies on steep gables, half-timbering and mixed materials.
Is traditional an architectural style?
Not a single one. Planners use Minimal Traditional for a simplified late-1930s and 1940s mode, but listings use traditional for houses of many eras, so check the year built.
Who built the period revival houses in the Sunset?
San Francisco Planning names Henry Doelger, Oliver and Arthur Rousseau, Ray F. Galli, Henry and Ellis Stoneson, and Carl and Fred Gellert among the major builders of 1925 to 1950.
What is a residence park?
A planned neighborhood such as St. Francis Wood, developed by Mason-McDuffie, with curving streets, architect-designed houses, alleys and detached garages.
further reading
From the Property Nerds
all home styles
Every style in the field guide, by era
Bars show the years each style was mostly built here. See the full field guide.
- 01Victorian & Edwardian1870s–1910s
- 02Craftsman & bungalow1905–1930
- 03Spanish & Mediterranean1915–1940
- 04Tudor, storybook & traditional1920s–1940s
- 05California ranchlate 1930s–1970s
- 06Mid-century modern1945–1975
- 07Eichler1949–1974
- 08Modern & contemporary1970s–today
- 09Modern farmhouse & new construction2005–today
talk to a property nerd
Own a period revival, or want one?
Call us for a value, a roof-and-chimney prep plan, or a tour of the residence parks. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
Questions about Tudor, storybook & traditional homes? Send us a note.
