Did you know there’s a castle nestled along a small hill in the Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco? The inconspicuous, 2,000-square-foot home known as the Albion Castle was once a working brewery. In the early 1970s, it officially became a historic landmark. Today, it’s a spot you can call home, for at least a few days, that is: Reserve the castle on VRBO for roughly less than a grand per night. It may be worth it to stay in one of San Francisco’s most unique houses…
English immigrant John Hamlin Burnell built the house in 1870 and turned it into the Albion Ale and Porter Brewery to serve the large number of saloons popping up throughout San Francisco.
He was strategic about where to place his home and brewery: right over fresh springs. Tunnels were hand-cut into the rocky hillside to store the spring water used for the beer. This natural spring system still produces 10,000 gallons of water daily.
The multi-story tower was built from stone, meant to look like a Norman castle.
After the property was forced to close due to Prohibition, it eventually became home to the Albion Water Company, then a few artists, then some local brewers (who always meant to re-establish the brewery), and now to Hunters Point natives, willing to rent it out to curious travelers.
Owned by retired SFPD lieutenant, Bill Gilbert, and his wife, the house is beautifully styled. Imagine luxuriating in this cozy, wood-paneled living room…
…or curling up with a good book here, feeling a little like you’ve escaped to a sweet, bohemian villa.
Have you ever seen a house quite like this one? Especially in San Francisco?! If you had the cash, would you stay here?
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