Western White House for sale in Hillsborough

The sprawling 24,350-square-foot residence sits on 2.9 acres of property. It’s four stories tall and reaches heights around 60 feet tall. The neoclassical Georgian design was the work of Julia Morgan, the first female licensed architect in the state. The home has a replica Oval Office, a state room and pillars.

The home features 11 bedrooms, multiple fireplaces, an elevator, a movie theater, a swimming pool with a pavilion with a changing area, shower and cedar-lined sauna. Realtor Alex Buljan said what makes it particularly interesting is its rich history and connection to the Gilded Age.

“This property is one of five in town that are significant historical properties,” said Buljan who added the others being the Carolands, Tobin Clark, Strawberry Hill, De Guigne and Bing Crosby estates.

The mansion is listed for $38.9 million. Buljan said it will take a specific type of buyer who can appreciate its historical significance, or the fact that it’s a White House replica.

“One of the things that makes it so valuable is that it is on 3 acres in south Hillsborough, the land’s value is $18 million to $24 million alone,” Buljan said.

The most comparable property that sold in Hillsborough is Elon Musk’s old home, the Charles De Guigne estate, a 15,000 square-foot 1880s French chateau.

The history of the executive mansion replica dates back to Charles Frederick Crocker, son of railroad tycoon Charles Crocker, who purchased the estate in 1894 from William Henry Howard. Dubbed the Uplands, Crocker lived there for three years before dying in the home. His son, Charles Templeton Crocker inherited the estate with his two siblings who moved elsewhere, leaving him the sole proprietor of the estate, according to the San Mateo County Historical Association.

However, Templeton Crocker wanted to build his own mansion on the site as a wedding present to Helene Irwin, C & H sugar heiress but, to do so, he needed to move the existing home. Using sleds and pulleys, the home was moved an estimated 350 yards north to where it still stands today at 401 El Cerrito Ave. Templeton Crocker gifted C.J. Lindgren the home for successfully moving it. Eighteen workers and 200 mules moved the home on 8-inch rollers. The terrain was terrible, the structure was raised 50 feet off the ground in some areas. Lindgren also needed to construct a 20-foot trestle bridge over San Mateo Creek to complete the task. It took nearly two months to haul the mansion to its new location, according to the Burlingame Historical Society.

In 1922, a fire damaged sections of the home on El Cerrito. In 1927, George Hearst, eldest son of William Randolf Hearst, purchased the home and hired architect Julia Morgan to redesign it to replicate the White House, according to the Burlingame Historical Society.

Buljan said it’s believed Hearst had ambitions to become president and he offered to donate the residence to the government if elected. Hearst suggested it could be used as the White House of the west and, by 1930, Morgan’s renovations and design were completed.

Since then, the home has been owned by numerous prolific figures in the Bay Area, one being T. Jack Foster, who founded Foster City. Buljan said it is even rumored John F. Kennedy and the Beatles were interested in buying it, although those rumors were never confirmed.

Since then, the owner of the home has applied more modern amenities to update the home including a full kitchen remodel with new appliances, a revamped elevator, paint and light fixtures, Buljan said. He said the new owner had the intention of living in the home but realized it was too big for their family.

The home, which is barely visible from the street, is surrounded by shrubbery for privacy and is meticulously landscaped. It even features a rose garden.

For more information email Alex@buljangroup.com or call (650) 438-0886.