Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Britt-Scripps House: Bankers Hill’s Queen Anne Victorian Historic Landmark

Construction cost of $3000 reportedly made it the most expensive residence in the city at the time.

Once upon a time, the newspaper business could make you a very rich man. - Image by Sam Chen
Once upon a time, the newspaper business could make you a very rich man.

The story of the tri-level Queen Anne Victorian estate at 406 Maple Street in Bankers Hill already includes a host of interesting chapters. With its latest offering for sale, the home is poised to embark on yet another.

Designated as San Diego Historic Landmark No. 52, the 6015-square-foot mansion was originally built in 1887 for Eugene and Harriet Britt. Mr. Britt was a prominent local attorney and judge, and the home’s construction cost of $3000 reportedly made it the most expensive residence in the city at the time.

But the Britts stayed in the home for only two years, and eventually, it was purchased by newspaper magnate E.W. Scripps, who lived there until the completion of his rural estate in what would later come to be known as Scripps Ranch. Scripps is notable not only for partnering with his half-sister Ellen to form the institute of oceanography that bears their name; but also for forming the precursor of what would become United Press International — at one point, one of the largest news syndicators in the world. But while he owned several Southern California papers, Scripps never broke into the local news market, which was dominated at the time by real estate baron John Spreckels.

Put some color in your climb with two stories’ worth of stained glass along the staircase.

According to listing materials retrieved from Realtor.com, the Britt-Scripps House recently “underwent a thorough renovation with impressive updates” while retaining its period-specific styling. “The exquisite residence is fully gated for maximum security. Lush foliage & mature hedges line the property’s perimeter for additional privacy,” the listing continues. “Serene yards, patios, lawn space & an extraordinary tree are also situated amongst the grounds.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

“The main residence offers 6015 square feet of living space spread amongst 3 stories complete with 2 stairwells,” including “nine spacious en-suite bedrooms, multiple decks & balconies, an elegant dining room, social parlor, catering kitchen w/ commercial grade appliances, secret library & more.”

Highlights include a grand entry staircase flanked by two stories of intricate stained glass windows, antique gaslamp-style fixtures upgraded to work with electric bulbs, original coffered and coved ceilings with wood inlay, freestanding claw-foot tubs, and a turret that’s been converted to a powder room with exposed beam walls and ceiling. All of the doors, windows, paneling, and wood casings are reported to be original.

Additional living area comes from a one-bedroom carriage house and converted garage with powder room, offering “plenty of space for staff, security, and guests” on the oversized lot, which occupies more than a third-acre just two blocks west of Balboa Park.

Beginning in the 1970s, the mansion was converted — first into a bed-and-breakfast, then into a professional building hosting law and medical offices.

When the estate was last sold for a reported $3.85 million in 2017, the San Francisco-based owners completed a restoration and began offering the property up as a venue for weddings and private parties. A historic designation through the Mills Act keeps property taxes just under $10,000 per year, less than one-fifth the rate at which the property would be assessed based on its reported sale price.

The Britt-Scripps house was most recently listed for sale in mid-May, with a $5.5 million price tag that remains unchanged to date.

  • 406 Maple Street | San Diego, 92103
  • Beds: 10 | Baths: 11 | Current Owner: Limelight Investments LLC | List Price: $5,500,000

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Dim Sum Tour, Warwick’s Holiday Open House

Events November 24-November 27, 2024
Next Article

Now what can they do with Encinitas unstable cliffs?

Make the cliffs fall, put up more warnings, fine beachgoers?
Once upon a time, the newspaper business could make you a very rich man. - Image by Sam Chen
Once upon a time, the newspaper business could make you a very rich man.

The story of the tri-level Queen Anne Victorian estate at 406 Maple Street in Bankers Hill already includes a host of interesting chapters. With its latest offering for sale, the home is poised to embark on yet another.

Designated as San Diego Historic Landmark No. 52, the 6015-square-foot mansion was originally built in 1887 for Eugene and Harriet Britt. Mr. Britt was a prominent local attorney and judge, and the home’s construction cost of $3000 reportedly made it the most expensive residence in the city at the time.

But the Britts stayed in the home for only two years, and eventually, it was purchased by newspaper magnate E.W. Scripps, who lived there until the completion of his rural estate in what would later come to be known as Scripps Ranch. Scripps is notable not only for partnering with his half-sister Ellen to form the institute of oceanography that bears their name; but also for forming the precursor of what would become United Press International — at one point, one of the largest news syndicators in the world. But while he owned several Southern California papers, Scripps never broke into the local news market, which was dominated at the time by real estate baron John Spreckels.

Put some color in your climb with two stories’ worth of stained glass along the staircase.

According to listing materials retrieved from Realtor.com, the Britt-Scripps House recently “underwent a thorough renovation with impressive updates” while retaining its period-specific styling. “The exquisite residence is fully gated for maximum security. Lush foliage & mature hedges line the property’s perimeter for additional privacy,” the listing continues. “Serene yards, patios, lawn space & an extraordinary tree are also situated amongst the grounds.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

“The main residence offers 6015 square feet of living space spread amongst 3 stories complete with 2 stairwells,” including “nine spacious en-suite bedrooms, multiple decks & balconies, an elegant dining room, social parlor, catering kitchen w/ commercial grade appliances, secret library & more.”

Highlights include a grand entry staircase flanked by two stories of intricate stained glass windows, antique gaslamp-style fixtures upgraded to work with electric bulbs, original coffered and coved ceilings with wood inlay, freestanding claw-foot tubs, and a turret that’s been converted to a powder room with exposed beam walls and ceiling. All of the doors, windows, paneling, and wood casings are reported to be original.

Additional living area comes from a one-bedroom carriage house and converted garage with powder room, offering “plenty of space for staff, security, and guests” on the oversized lot, which occupies more than a third-acre just two blocks west of Balboa Park.

Beginning in the 1970s, the mansion was converted — first into a bed-and-breakfast, then into a professional building hosting law and medical offices.

When the estate was last sold for a reported $3.85 million in 2017, the San Francisco-based owners completed a restoration and began offering the property up as a venue for weddings and private parties. A historic designation through the Mills Act keeps property taxes just under $10,000 per year, less than one-fifth the rate at which the property would be assessed based on its reported sale price.

The Britt-Scripps house was most recently listed for sale in mid-May, with a $5.5 million price tag that remains unchanged to date.

  • 406 Maple Street | San Diego, 92103
  • Beds: 10 | Baths: 11 | Current Owner: Limelight Investments LLC | List Price: $5,500,000
Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Trump names local supporter new Border Czar

Another Brick (Suit) in the Wall
Next Article

Classical Classical at The San Diego Symphony Orchestra

A concert I didn't know I needed
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader