builder filesfile 03 of 57built c. 1890s–1920sboyenga team at compass
Willis Polk homes
Willis Polk opened his San Francisco practice in 1892 and helped shape the First Bay Tradition, starting with shingled redwood houses on Russian Hill. Later he designed formal city houses in Pacific Heights and Sea Cliff, Filoli in Woodside and the Crocker “Uplands” mansion in Hillsborough. Here’s what the records confirm and what the homes sell for.
- architect
- Willis Jefferson Polk (1867–1924)
- firm
- Polk & Polk, 1892; Willis Polk & Co. from the 1910s
- tradition
- First Bay Tradition
- Peninsula
- Filoli (1915–1917); Uplands (1917)
- after his death
- the firm kept his name until 1934
- archive
- UC Berkeley’s Environmental Design Archives
- listings say
- “Willis Polk design”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- year his San Francisco practice opened, as Polk & Polk1892
where they are
Where his houses are
From National Register nominations, SF Planning and UC Berkeley’s archive. Unconfirmed credits are marked.
| work | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Hill Place houses | San Francisco | 1915–1916 | 4 | Four stucco houses built for Norman Livermore, contributors to the Russian Hill–Vallejo Street Crest National Register district, per its nomination. |
| Vallejo Street houses and improvements | San Francisco | 1892–1915 | several | Shingled First Bay Tradition houses, starting with an 1892 double house, and the ramps, walls and balustrades of the 1914–15 Vallejo Street improvements, per the district nomination. |
| Tobin House | San Francisco | 1915 | 1 | A Pacific Heights house on California St, listed on the National Register in 2009. |
| Sea Cliff and Nob Hill houses | San Francisco | 1914–1918 | 2+ | Speculative houses on Scenic Way and Mason St commissioned by Mrs. John Proctor, per the Tobin House nomination. |
| Filoli | Woodside | 1915–1917 | estate | The Bourn estate, now a public house museum and garden, listed on the National Register in 1975. |
| Uplands | Hillsborough | 1917 | estate | The Crocker mansion, now a school campus. |
| McCullagh-Jones House | Los Gatos | 1901 | 1 | An older farmhouse he split and rejoined with a loggia in Mission Revival style, listed on the National Register in 1974. |
His firm kept his name until 1934, so a 1927 Russian Hill apartment building is a firm work rather than his own design. The 1020 Vallejo townhomes were designed to complement his houses but are by another firm. Le Petit Trianon in Cupertino is attributed to him, though its National Register nomination doesn’t name him.
how to spot one
How to spot a Polk house
From National Register nominations.
- 1890s
Rustic city houses
His early Russian Hill houses are small and shingled in unpainted redwood, with informal plans and sparse, witty ornament, per the district nomination.
- 1910s
Stucco city houses
His 1910s city houses have stucco walls, steep roofs and detail concentrated at the windows, per the Tobin House nomination.
- restraint
Historic forms, little ornament
He was known for academic versions of historic styles with restrained ornament, per the Tobin House nomination.
- street
Houses tied to the hill
On Russian Hill he designed the retaining walls, ramps and balustrades that tie the houses to the street.
- myth check
Polk or his firm?
Willis Polk & Co. kept working under his name until 1934, and some buildings were designed to complement his, so confirm the date and the architect.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Willis Polk sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Willis Polk or his firm, mostly in San Francisco. 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 name his firm’s later work, and many of his houses sell without his name, 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 Willis Polk.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- San Francisco landmarks and districtsSeveral Polk houses are city landmarks or National Register properties, which brings historic review for exterior changes. Check the Property Information Map first.
- Mills ActLandmarks and National Register properties in San Francisco can apply for Mills Act property-tax contracts, subject to value limits.
- Los Gatos reviewLos Gatos reviews exterior work on homes built before 1941.
- Homes of this agePlan for seismic, foundation, electrical and plumbing checks, and look after historic retaining walls on Russian Hill lots. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- 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
- Confirm the architectWe check permits and the historic record, since his firm kept his name after his death.
- 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 storyA documented Polk design is part of the value; we gather the records that prove it.
- Photograph the detailsFacades, courtyards, woodwork and views, 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 Willis Polk?
A San Francisco architect (1867–1924) who opened his practice in 1892 and helped shape the First Bay Tradition. He designed houses on Russian Hill, in Pacific Heights and Sea Cliff, and Filoli in Woodside.
Which of his houses are landmarks?
The Russian Hill Place houses are contributors to a National Register district, the Tobin House was listed on the National Register in 2009 and several other Polk buildings are San Francisco landmarks. In Los Gatos, the McCullagh-Jones House was listed in 1974.
Is a 1927 Willis Polk & Co. building his design?
His firm kept his name after his death in 1924 and worked until 1934, so a 1927 building is a firm work rather than his own design.
Did he design Carolands?
No. Ernest Sanson designed Carolands in Hillsborough; Polk managed its construction, per Carolands.
sources
Sources
National Register nominations, SF Planning and archives, checked October 2026.
- National Park Service: Russian Hill–Vallejo Street Crest District nominationThe Russian Hill houses and street improvementsnpgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/7e3402cd-b553-4369-bde2-3af5070c7a9a
- National Park Service: Tobin House nominationHis 1910s city housesnpgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/15eb71ed-8cb0-4924-8b8b-c5a36fde8a0c
- National Park Service: Filoli nominationPolk’s design, 1915–1917npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/75000479.pdf
- National Park Service: McCullagh-Jones House nominationThe 1901 Los Gatos remodelnpgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/74000558_text
- UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design: Willis PolkHis archiveced.berkeley.edu/collections/polk-willis
- Carolands: Willis PolkHis role at Carolandscarolands.org/history-extras/willis-polk
- SF Planning: Article 10 landmarks (Bulletin 9)San Francisco’s landmark listsfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_09.PDF
- 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
- 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 a Willis Polk 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.
