How Elaborate Victorian Houses in San Francisco Were Carefully Picked Up and Moved to New Locations

Architectural channel This House, which previously talked about Sears mail-order home kits, explained how elaborate Victorian homes in San Francisco were often, and still can be, moved from one plot to another within the city.

Have you ever seen an entire Victorian home cruising down San Francisco's streets? Believe it or not, moving historic houses has been part of the city's unique story for over a century.

Much of this occurred after the Great Earthquake of 1906, where neighborhoods were destroyed, but some houses remained intact, so they were moved to less damaged areas of the city. Other reasons that houses were moved included larger plots of land, in some cases, it was less expensive to move the house rather than build from scratch, and a desire to maintain the distinctive heritage of San Francisco architecture.

From stunning Italianates to elaborate Queen Anne mansions, these architectural gems have been carefully lifted and relocated, sometimes block-by-block, preserving the city's heritage amidst rapid urban development.