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Committee hears presentation on landmarking Cowell House at 171 San Marcos Avenue
Summary
The Land Use & Transportation Committee heard Planning Department staff recommend landmark designation for the Cowell House (171 San Marcos Ave) citing its 1933 modern design and associations with composer Henry Cowell and Olive Thompson Cowell; a committee member moved to forward the item to the full Board with a recommendation.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee heard a presentation recommending landmark status for the Cowell House, a 1933 modern single-family home at 171 San Marcos Avenue in the Forest Hill neighborhood.
Planning Department staffer Shannon Ferguson told the committee the Historic Preservation Commission added the property to its work program in 2011, initiated formal designation in July 2015, conducted an exterior and interior site visit in September 2015 and on Oct. 7, 2015 unanimously recommended landmark designation. Ferguson said the house is significant for its association with composer Henry Cowell and Olive Thompson Cowell, and as an early modern single-family house that retains original design features including horizontal redwood siding, steel-sash windows and rounded streamlined elements.
"The Cowell House retains the design features that were present when it was first constructed in 1933, such as the horizontal redwood siding, steel sash windows, and rounded streamlined modern design elements," Ferguson said.
Ferguson also described Olive Thompson Cowell’s role as the house’s original patron and her ties to San Francisco State, and noted the house was associated with musical gatherings and the early new-music community. A member of the public who identified herself as Houghton spoke in favor of designation, emphasizing the building’s rarity and the involvement of a woman architect in its creation.
A committee member asked about participation in the case report; public testimony indicated no neighborhood opposition and the property owner, Christine Williamson, had submitted a letter of support but was unable to attend the hearing.
A committee member then asked to be listed as a cosponsor with Supervisor Yi and moved that the item be sent to the full Board with a recommendation. The clerk corrected a scheduling detail (the next Board meeting will be April 5), and the item was scheduled to proceed to the Board for consideration.
The committee did not record a roll-call vote on the motion in the transcript provided; the motion to forward the item was made on the record during the meeting.
