345 Jersey Street

Built in 1895 by William Bell and Frederick Townsend, the multi-story cottage is emblematic of its period, showing primarily late Queen Anne features and early colonial revival elements with slanted bay windows on either side of the entrance. Decorative elements include the geometrical borders around the two front windows, stick and ball spindle screens supported by small brackets above, further topped by a line of classical swags. The symmetry of the design ends at the cornice; the gable end of the roof is shifted to the left, with a small turret on the right. The turret here was altered at some time in the past.

The Morgan family purchased the home in 1895 from Bell and Frederick and lived there for at least 20 years. William Morgan owned Morgan and Cotter Carriage Company, custom carriage and wagon makers in San Francisco. At the turn of the century, carriages and wagons were still in high demand, though the threat of automobiles was around the corner. Morgan and Cotter specialized in custom built carriages for both private and commercial uses. By the early 1900’s, people were rapidly adapting to the new “horseless carriage.” Following the earthquake, Morgan must have realized his business faced an existential threat from these new innovations: garages were replacing stables. In 1908, Mr. Morgan transferred all funds from his account at the Hibernia Bank to a bank in San Diego before disappearing forever. By 1915, a judge in San Francisco declared William Morgan legally dead and allowed Morgan’s properties in the city to be transferred to his son, Dr. N. T. Morgan. A San Francisco Call newspaper record of the decision noted Mr. Morgan’s 30 years of business in the city prior to his departure.

Interestingly, the extra wide lot (about 5’ wider than nearby properties) may have reflected Morgan’s relative wealth and success, but also the potential use of the property in his business. The home was situated just across the street from the Market St. Railroad Company’s Castro St. cable car barn. His specialty in carriage building may have made him a useful partner in building and maintaining the cable car fleet.

Sometime after Dr. Morgan’s inheritance of the property, the Powers and Welch family came to own 345 Jersey St. They owned the property in the 30s and 40s. By the late 1980s, the home was acquired by an investor who completed an extensive restoration and sold it to their friend and dentist, Tom Baker, who is the current owner of the home.

Researched Max Mertens and Gary Goss, 2024