143 Jersey Street

This Edwardian cottage is an eclectic combination of architectural styles. There are elements of Queen Anne-style design present such as the brackets with decorative incised leaves picked out in gold leaf and the stick and ball ornament above the stairs. The clapboard siding which covers the majority of the home flares out at the base of the second level to meet the edge of the crown molding below. This detail, and the small bay window in the gable end of the second floor add a small touch of the Dutch-Colonial or Arts and Crafts feeling to the composition. Overall, the design is more restrained and the various elements combined feel reflective of changing tastes.

This cottage’s history reflects how some houses were built in San Francisco. It mysteriously emerged in 1905, yet there is history beginning in 1896. The lot was described as “S Jersey Street 25’ E Vicksburg Street” and sold by Mary and John Hardiman to John S. Smith in January of that year. There is a water connection date a month later in February, yet there was nothing built. The 1900 Sanborn map shows no building. Later in July, 1905, Elizabeth Smith sold the lot to Jacob Weissbein, and there is a building completion date of December 9, 1905, recorded in Edward Abstracts, (one of the historic documents that record buildings completed in San Francisco), listing Weissbein as the owner. The house’s later water records date of 1909 seems to not account for the home being completed by 1905. It was most likely built by Weissbein using day labor, meaning there was no contractor or architect. At the time, there were multiple water towers in Noe Valley, so it is likely water came originally from one of the towers before officially hooking into the city’s piped-in water supply in 1909.

Joseph and Jacob Weissbein, Jewish pioneers from Germany, came to California and settled in Grass Valley in 1873. By 1876, they opened the Weissbein Bros. and Co. Bank in Grass Valley. They sold life insurance, real estate, stocks and bonds, and had financial interests in local gold mines. In 1902 they moved to San Francisco and continued to invest in real estate as well as mining. Joseph and Jacob Weissbein are listed in the 1905 City Directory as Weissbein Bros, Assayers and Gold Refiners and Real Estate. They were members of Congregation Emanu-El.

When completed, Mr. Weissbein immediately sold the property to Emil R. Galloway on December 12, 1907. In the 1907 City Directory, Galloway was listed as a linotype operator for Gilmartin & Company (Printers, Lithographers, Bookkeepers, Commercial Catalogue and Pamphlet Stationary). Among other printing projects, it seems they printed baseball cards of teams in the early 1900’s. By the 1910 Census records, Mr. Galloway (41, b. in Missouri), Anna (40, b. in Washington), and their three children, Wendell C. (15), Mary (13), and Frederick (8), all born in California, and a boarder, Bernard Mayer (49) lived in their home. Two years later, in July, 1912, the Galloways sold their home to Lillian M. Burns.

The 1913 City Directory shows Mary Burns, a widow, Milton F. Burns, a bookkeeper, Harry Burns, a laborer, and John T. Burns, an elevator operator all living at the home. By the 1920 Census, the Burns family included fewer family members living in the house, with John T. Burns (33, b. in California), his wife Antonette (31, b. Honolulu), son John Burns (4, b. California), and now grandmother Mary, widow (62). John continued as an elevator operator. It seemed that the elevator operator was a highly technical position that required skill to match elevator speed with the customers’ demands for service on various floors. There were central controls to remotely communicate with the manual operators of each car to keep each elevator shaft running smoothly. Remember, the elevators were a new technology serving the new high rise buildings being built as downtown San Francisco emerged from the earthquake rubble.  By 1928-1929 John T. Burns moved to Valencia Street. The Burns family may have retained title and rented 143 Jersey.

The Fahey family were living in the home by the 1932 SF City Directory. Bridget and Patrick Fahey who immigrated from Ireland, were already in their late 60’s by the 1940 Census. They continued to live there until about 1950. One of the Fahey daughters, Mary, married James Hennessy (b. Ireland) and the Hennessy’s continued to live as renters at 143 Jersey with their three children. By 1977, Marie (Mary?) had passed away, and the house was put up for sale. 

The Gianaris family, Noe Valley residents since at least the 1970’s, purchased and lived in 143 Jersey for a number of years. They started the iconic Greek restaurant Panos on 24^th St. in 1978 and ran it for 20 years. Their daughters, who were raised in the house, took the baton from their parents and now own and run two Noe Valley restaurants, Mr. Digby’s and Novy’s, both on 24^th Street. The Gianaris sold the house to the Cole family. A member of the Cole family, Margaret O’Leary, founded her successful namesake knitwear business in San Francisco. It is an ongoing concern with stores is several cities in the bay area and around the West coast.

Jamie and Rob Feuerman bought the house over Thanksgiving, 1994, their first and only home, on an impulse during a San Francisco vacation while strolling neighborhoods and viewing open houses out of curiosity.  They immediately fell in love with Noe Valley and the home’s perfectly sunny backyard, and spontaneously decided to buy 143 (aka “143 I love you” by rapper Bobby Brackins) at dinner at Noe Valley’s newest restaurant, Firefly. Thirty years later, they have proudly raised and launched two kids from 143, Eli and Remi, who attended neighborhood preschool Eureka Learning Center and the San Francisco Friends School in the Mission.  Marking their seasons with Noe Valley’s amazing sun-drenched weather, they enjoy their two cherry blossom trees each spring, a plum tree each 4^th of July and a pear tree each fall.  Jamie and Rob started and ran Kid Chow, a healthy school lunch company, which served 6,000 lunches a day to fifty Bay Area schools.  They have loved being a part of “stroller valley,” reveling in the friendly merchants, parks and farmer’s market, all steps from their home.  In celebration of being “empty nesters,” they renovated the house in 2015, updating its traditional interiors to a more modern look while maintaining its classic exterior. Interestingly, as part of this research Jamie and Rob learned that the house had come full circle from the original property owners, the Weissbeins, with both families being part of the same Temple Emanuel community. 

Research by Gary Goss and Adam Klafter

Edited by Gail Baugh, 2024