William Westerfeld House and Gothic Spire: The Russian Embassy of Rock

Why is it significant?

Gaze up at the dark, soaring rooflines and ornate central tower of the William Westerfeld House, commanding the northwest corner of Alamo Square at Fulton and Scott Streets.

Key Facts

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Gaze up at the dark, soaring rooflines and ornate central tower of the William Westerfeld House, commanding the northwest corner of Alamo Square at Fulton and Scott Streets. Built in 1889 for wealthy German confectioner William Westerfeld by architect Henry Geilfuss, this twenty-eight-room Gothic-Victorian mansion is one of the most visually dramatic private homes in California. Its soaring sixty-foot octagonal mansard tower, rose windows, wrought-iron cresting, and pointed gables evoke the brooding atmosphere of a European gothic castle, earning it a legendary reputation in San Francisco folklore.

The mansion's interior history is even more extraordinary than its exterior architecture. Following Westerfeld's death, the house was sold in 1928 to a group of Russian immigrants and converted into an informal social club and boarding house for Czarist emigres, complete with an Orthodox chapel in the ballroom, earning it the neighborhood nickname the 'Russian Embassy'. In the late 1940s, the lower floors were converted into an underground jazz speakeasy where jazz greats John Coltrane and Charlie Parker jammed after hours.

In the late 1960s, the house became a communal countercultural sanctuary. Underground avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger lived here and filmed scenes for 'Invocation of My Demon Brother', hosting legendary rock musicians including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and members of the Grateful Dead. Members of Anton LaVey's circle and rock stars walked its grand walnut staircases. Taking time to absorb this physical setting connects you directly with the generations of master builders, civil rights pioneers, and community advocates whose perseverance shaped San Francisco into a global capital of artistic diversity and cultural freedom. Taking time to absorb this physical setting connects you directly with the generations of master builders, civil rights pioneers, and community advocates whose perseverance shaped San Francisco into a global capital of artistic diversity and cultural freedom.

In 1986, dedicated preservationist Jim Siegel purchased the neglected mansion and spent decades lovingly restoring its gold leaf, stained glass, and redwood woodwork.

Walk east along McAllister Street toward Pierce Street, admiring the grand Victorian mansions lining the north side of the park.