HOME / 2026 Historic House Fall Tour / 1257 Guerrero Street – Noe’s Nest Bed & Breakfast
1257 Guerrero Street – Noe’s Nest Bed & Breakfast
Proprietor: Sheila Ash
Architecture
The exterior of 1257 Guerrero combines elements of the Romanesque and the Shingle Style, which would have made their way to San Francisco from the Eastern United States by 1890. The front bay window on the first floor features thin engaged columns with thin, closely-spaced horizontal ridges in place of more classical fluting, capped by round finials and below by teardrops. Above the windows on the bay are a series of circular decorations carved into the wood. Similar decorations to these and the columns can be found on other homes in the Romanesque/Shingle style.
The entrance is even more strongly Romanesque in character, framed by a wide arch supported by two panels of foliate carving picked out in gold leaf. Above the arch, the siding is punctuated by small gold leaf balls, which add texture and might suggest a more rusticated surface like that of the stonework which originally inspired the Romanesque Revival style.
On the second floor, the character is more solidly shingle style. The windows above the front door are surrounded by paneling similar to that found on many colonial-inspired shingle homes. The round medallions above the bay are echoed below the gable, and a simple dentil molding just above adds a small classical touch.
HISTORY
When construction was finalized in December 1890, its architect and builder could not have imagined the people and stories that would come through 1257 Guerrero over the next 136 years. Originally 1227 Guerrero, the home was designed by architect Walter J. Mathews and built by contractor W. Linden. The building’s first owner, Harriet G. McVicker, paid $5,775.
Matteo Francisco Gamo, who signed the water record in December 1890, was the first tenant. Census records indicate Matteo was born in Ecuador to an Ecuadorian mother and Pennsylvanian father. Directory information indicates Matteo’s earliest jobs include working as a bootblack (1890’s term for a shoeshiner) at F. Blunti, perhaps a shoemaker or repair shop. By 1895, Matteo had begun using the name “Game” rather than “Gamo,” and he is a clerk for the S.P. Company’s freight auditing department. Shipping is now a booming industry fueled by a robust local manufacturing and finance industry. Matteo lists his occupation as accountant in the 1900 census, along with a wife and five children living at 1257 Guerrero Street; his son Matteo S. Game works at Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Company. Records indicate Harriet McVicker sold the property to Clara Game, in June 1902 for $9,500. The home remained in the Game family until shortly after Matteo’s death in February 1909.
Shortly after Matteo’s death, public records indicate a series of different professionals and tradesmen called the building home, perhaps as renters. Their frequent turnover and variety in professions are exemplary of the numerous industries popular in San Francisco over the years, but also of the ability of ordinary workers to afford a home in San Francisco. James Archibald, a salesman with D. Coffin & Co., and Robert Butler, a Clerk for New Amsterdam Casualty Co., lived in the home in 1911-1912 and 1913-1914, respectively. By 1915, the home would be occupied by Nelson and James (“Percy”) Beach, perhaps a father and son. Nelson worked as a clerk for PG&E and James was a police officer. The Lipshitz family moved into the building by 1920, with the family working in a variety of industries: millinery, clerking, and dentistry. Following the Lipshitz family, several other families rotated through the home, including Carl (floorlayer) and Thora Swanson around 1935 and Campbell (painter) and Kathe Gordon in 1946.
Today, Sheila Ash operates a bed and breakfast, Noe’s Nest, out of the home. The historic residence shows off San Francisco’s architectural past, richly layered with period detail and eclectic charm. Under Ash’s stewardship, this gorgeous Victorian has been the scene of numerous weddings, new-age workshops, sumptuous banquets, and even the surprise birth of a baby. Ash has entertained Hollywood directors Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas and the former porn star Marilyn Chambers. As owner and host of the eight-room inn that welcomes hundreds of visitors a year, Ash manages the business, helps with the cooking, entertains guests, and often invites them along on her adventures.
Sheila Ash, an accomplished vintage stylist, is also the steward of an extraordinary collection of more than 1,500 vintage art deco garments and 150 hats, available for rental for special events and styling purposes for film, photography. She can often be spotted around Noe Valley or the Mission in her trademark looks, always welcoming travelers to San Francisco in style.
Research by Max Mertens, Adam Klafter, and Gary Goss
Edited by Max Mertens