The Iconic Cliff House That Made It Through Multiple Fires

If you ever have the opportunity to travel to San Francisco, there really is something that you should keep on your radar. It isn’t something that is often at the top of the list, as those slots are filled by items such as riding on a trolley car or perhaps visiting the market.

If you happen to go to the area of Ocean Beach in San Francisco, however, you may see a large house that is sitting on the cliff. In fact, it has the name “Cliff House” and the history of that building is one that many people are not familiar with.

When it was originally built in 1863, undoubtedly the builder thought that it would stand for a very long time. It was only about a decade later, however, when the house was damaged by fire in 1884 after a nearby ship exploded.

Just a decade after the fire of 1884, it burned down in 1894. Although most people would probably give up after experiencing such difficulties, the owner, Adolf Sutro, decided to press forward and rebuild. After that, it continued in the area as a landmark until 1907, when it burned to the ground.

Over the years, the fire gave the opportunity for the owners to rebuild the home and make a number of changes. It was and continues to be a landmark that sits on the cliff and welcomes passing ships as well as welcoming people, who were able to visit until it closed down.

Although it was passed from one owner to another, eventually the National Park Service took ownership of the Cliff House. The public was able to visit the iconic area until 2020 when it was eventually closed to the public.

Ever since 1977, the National Park Service has been in possession of the home and made it a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Extensive renovations took place in 2003, including the removal and building of a number of additions. At that point, it was brought back to the appearance it had in 1909.

You can see more about this iconic home in the following video: