Saturday, December 31, 2022

Harry’s House of Secrets

‘Harry Potter’ director Chris Columbus sells up in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights

 

Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is selling his £8,128,000 ($12,995,000) Italianate style San Francisco home.

 

Director turned novelist Chris Columbus (© Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner)
Director turned novelist Chris Columbus (© Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner)
2622 Jackson Street, San Francisco, California, USA, CA 94115
2622 Jackson Street, San Francisco, California, USA, CA 94115
Aerial views of the house from the front and rear show both San Francisco's Bay and Alta Plaza Park
Aerial views of the house from the front and rear show both San Francisco’s Bay and Alta Plaza Park
2622 Jackson Street is a house designed for entertaining on a grand scale
2622 Jackson Street is a house designed for entertaining on a grand scale
The paneled dining room comfortably seats twelve
The paneled dining room comfortably seats twelve
The grand staircase includes a feature stained glass window
The grand staircase includes a feature stained glass window
Original plasterwork is apparent throughout the building
Original plasterwork is apparent throughout the building
One of seven bedrooms
One of seven bedrooms

Situated on a 127-foot by 103-foot plot, 2622 Jackson Street was built to the designs of the architect Willis Polk – who went on to design the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts – in 1895 for an industrialist named George W. Gibbs. It was constructed in Oregon gray sandstone with a roof of glazed tiles and features a semi-circular portico “based on the round the round temples of ancient Rome”.

 

Originally intended as a “country home” for Gibbs, a large terraced garden was planned to surround the house. By the time of its completion, however, the surrounding area was already engulfed into the city due to the area’s building boom. The building subsequently became the headquarters of the San Francisco Institute of Music and Arts in 1947.

 

2622 Jackson Street was subject to a full renovation by Ryan Construction, including a complete seismic retrofit, in 1994 and now provides 11,450 square foot of accommodation. As well as 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and 4 reception rooms, there is, naturally given the building’s owner, a media room and a large loft room designed as an additional entertaining space.

 

The kitchen includes a large central island cooker
The kitchen includes a large central island cooker
Given 2622 Jackson Street is owned by a film director there is of course an obligatory cinema screening room
Given 2622 Jackson Street is owned by a film director there is of course an obligatory cinema screening room
The top floor loft room is designed as an additional entertaining space and makes maximum effect of the view with a large arched window
The top floor loft room is designed as an additional entertaining space and makes maximum effect of the view with a large arched window
On a good day one can look across the Bay to Alcatraz and Tiburon beyond
On a good day one can look across the Bay to Alcatraz and Tiburon beyond
The gardens include a number of terraced seating areas
The gardens include a number of terraced seating areas

Situated across the street from Alta Plaza Park, this Pacific Heights residence enjoys “panoramic views” of the Golden Gate Bridge from the top floor and a “lovely walk-out garden” according to agent Neal Ward. The property, described as “San Francisco’s first classical residence” by the San Francisco Examiner and as having “unpretentious solidity” according to Wave, is undoubtedly one of the city’s finest buildings and has plainly been a happy home for the Columbus family.

 

Pennsylvania born Columbus, whose credits number Mrs Doubtfire, Gremlins, The Goonies and Home Alone, directed the first two Harry Potter films and produced the third out of the series of eight. In an interview in April this year, the director told The Telegraph’s Anna Tyzack that he and his family have enjoyed a “pretty normal existence” living at 2622 Jackson Street but given his first novel, House of Secrets, is based on “three siblings who are forced to move to a mysterious new house in San Francisco [that] once belonged to a crazed writer whose stories have come to life”, one has to wonder what the next chapter for this fine classical mansion will be.

 

Update October 2014: The house sold for a price of £8,265,000 ($13,300,000).

 

 

Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here:

    The house stands on a 0.3 acre plot that includes a 5 car motor court
    The house stands on a 0.3 acre plot that includes a 5 car motor court
    The ground and first floor plans illustrate the well designed accommodation architect Willis Polk created
    The ground and first floor plans illustrate the well designed accommodation architect Willis Polk created
    The basement and second floor level plans llustrate how the building has been adapted for 21st century living
    The basement and second floor level plans llustrate how the building has been adapted for 21st century living
    The Steeple Times
    The Steeple Times
    We research and background check our articles. If you believe we have made and error in some detail please get in touch, we seek always to write the truth and stand against a press owned by a self selected few. Please help us, we will accept all your likes, subscriptions and anonymous suport. The Editor and his team at the Steeple Times.

    5 COMMENTS

        • Actually, Mr. Columbus’ success predates the Harry Potter series by over 2 decades. He made it big with other box-office hits like Home Alone, Goonies, Mrs. Doubtfire, Gremlins, etc…SO, it is incorrect to assume that Mr. Columbus made his fortune off the Harry Potter series alone.

    1. A shame about the proximity to the house next door on the right. What a pity it doesn’t have the same sized garden on that size. The balance would then have been perfect.

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    £1 per week Supports The Steeple Times

    Help journalism to remain honest & independent. You can make a difference to the world today.

    3,091FansLike
    2,068FollowersFollow
    14,739FollowersFollow
    4,962SubscribersSubscribe

    Subscribe For DAILY NEWS

    Please subscribe, like and share this unique site, it helps us tremendously. The Steeple Times in return will send you an email at noon each and everyday, that we sincerely hope you will enjoy & look forward to seeing in your inbox.

    AD
    Advertisement

    Trending Now

    Shock Horror (Not)! MPs Engaged in “Sex & Heavy Drinking” On Trips Abroad

    That that ‘The Guardian’ is shocked by news that MPs – mostly Tories, it seems – “engaged in ‘sex and heavy drinking’ on trips abroad” is actually beyond bloody laughable.

    Crypto Crook’s Big Short – Will Sam Bankman-Fried Story Be Turned Into Blockbuster?

    Crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried astonishingly gets to hang out with the author of ‘The Big Short’ in spite of being on £207 million bail and now has not only Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer onside but also Prince Andrew’s judge to face also.

    Five Unlikely Things Famous Footballers Did Next…

    David Lennox shares the little-known stories of what five famous footballers did next after retiring their pitch time prowess – amongst them everything from novel writing to forensic detective work.

    Most Popular Articles

    Justice for James Scurlock

    Power of social media proven after senseless killing of James Scurlock in Omaha, Nebraska allegedly by a controversial bar owner named Jake Gardner who has been photographed with Donald Trump.

    Moron of the Moment – Prince Harry

    With his marriage to the woman formerly known as Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has morphed into an utter bore   Prince Harry used to be a...

    Scobie Orf!

    ‘MeGain’s’ bestie Omid Scobie deservedly gets slammed by ‘Yankee Wally’ Sadie Quinlan for getting her shut down on Twitter; this childish chap should now just ‘belt up, wrap up and shut up.’

    A Massive Media Maelstrom – McCann, Mandelson and Maxwell

    Matthew Steeples highlights how the ‘Mandelson Media Method’ is very much in play in both the case of the Prince Andrew-Jeffrey Epstein connection and the renewed interest in the Madeleine McCann disappearance.

    The Phil & Matt Show

    Phillip Schofield filmed smoking shisha with his alleged ex-lover Matt McGreevy (and pictured in bed thereafter); another image shows the pair together in photograph...

    Plane Perverted

    EXCLUSIVE – Previously unnamed 9-year-old child pictured on the lap of Jeffrey Epstein on his plane in ‘Daily Mail’ suggested to be daughter of billionaire Glenn Dubin.

    Moron of the Moment 2021 – Richard Madeley

    As the new Diana, Princess of Wales statue is mocked as looking like him, ‘Dorian Gray of Daytime Telly’ Richard Madeley pathetically claims he got PTSD due to worrying about his son’s wedding.

    Most Liked...

    Ampika Pickston

    Ampika Pickston
    Oldham born divorcee and former glamour model Ampika Pickston describes herself as “feisty, fun loving and warm hearted”. Now based in Hale Barns, Cheshire...

    Picture of the Week: The Wallies of Whalley

    Picture of the Week: A field at Whalley Arches, Lancashire before and after flooding
    Image of flooded Lancashire field complete with sign advertising it as a development site for 39 homes illustrates the perils of building on flood...

    Was Mucky Minx Meghan Markle A ‘Yacht Girl’ For ‘Randy Andy’?

    Was Meghan Markle A ‘Yacht Girl’ For ‘Randy Andy’?
    As author Kirby Sommers suggests that the then Meghan Markle likely spent time with Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein before she met Prince Harry, we again highlight the mucky, murkiness and mendacious manner of this alleged “yacht girl.”

    Unprecedentedly THAT – Scrag-End Omid Scobie’s Christmas Twitter Missive Stinkers

    Unprecedentedly THAT – Scrag-End Omid Scobie’s Christmas Twitter Missive Stinkers
    In using Twitter to share rabid rants about everything from Ribena to the royals, Omid Scobie simply shows himself as unprecedently awful.

    MeGain’s Mouthpiece’s Moronic Meltdown – Soppy Omid Scobie v Joyous Jeremy...

    MeGain’s Mouthpiece Has Meltdown Jeremy Clarkson Meghan Markle Omid Scobie
    Matthew Steeples salutes Jeremy Clarkson for expressing honest thoughts about the deviant Duchess of Sussex (and especially for causing the soppy snowflake that is ‘MeGain’s mouthpiece Omid Scobie to have a meltdown as a result).