Jean St. Cyr had an eye for the ladies

Saint Cyr was supposed to have been descended from a French aristocratic family. The fact that he didn’t understand French and that he spoke English with a somewhat southern drawl didn’t pique anyone’s curiosity at first. He was hired by a rich socialite to be her secretary. The wealthy older woman, a Mrs. Caroline P. Redfield, was sufficiently impressed with the suave young man to marry him. Thus, in 1909, Jean Saint Cyr arrived on the eastern social scene with a splash. Actually, it was with a splash of color, as he favored rather flamboyant dress, often in shades of pink or lavender.

Poor Caroline Saint Cyr died in 1915, leaving the grieving widower a wealthy man. It has been said that he expressed his mourning by wearing a black bathing suit at the Florida beaches instead of his customary pink and blue selections.

Not one to grieve too long, Saint Cyr married again four months later in White Sulfer Springs, Va. His new bride, Annie Smith, was also a very wealthy older woman. By now gossip about the dandy hinted of his questionable origins. He declared the rumors to be lies, but did not return to New York to sue or do battle over these claims.

Instead, the Saint Cyrs traveled quite a bit and then settled in San Francisco. They established themselves with Peninsula society by hosting several gala events at the Palace Hotel. Just at this time the elegant home, "El Cerrito,” was up for sale. The 15-acre property was available for $350,000, and the adjacent 11 acres could be had for $80,000. So, in 1919, the Saint Cyrs took up residence on this historic site that had been the location of many spectacular events in the past.

Poor Annie Saint Cyr’s health began to fail, and in 1923 she died. Reportedly, half of her $20 million estate went to her grieving husband. He put El Cerrito up for sale. Soon there were stories that Jean was engaged to his late wife’s good friend, the widow of the Brazilian Ambassador to the United States. St. Cyr took El Cerrito off the market, but they never wed.

During the depression, St. Cyr tried to rezone a portion of his property to erect an apartment house and a hotel, but he did not succeed. Finally, he met Helen Strong Carter, wealthy widow of the former governor of Hawaii. They were wed in the spring of 1939. A month later, he sold El Cerrito to her for $400,000. After that, the marriage seemed to deteriorate. The third Mrs. St. Cyr headed for Reno and a quick divorce.

The El Cerrito estate was sold to developer David Bohannon. The old mansion was demolished and El Cerrito Manor offered exclusive new home sites. Much of the beautiful landscaping was retained and a historic Japanese Garden was saved. Jean Saint Cyr is said to have disappeared into obscurity in Los Angeles.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County History Museum, 750 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.<