Havens Mansion and Carriage House

The Havens Mansion and Carriage House stands as a private residence on South Van Ness Avenue, built in eighteen eighty-four as the personal home of Charles Havens. At the time of its construction, Havens served as the City Architect for San Francisco, a position he held for twelve years. While his public work defined much of the city's early infrastructure, this house remains one of the few places that showcases his private architectural vision. It is designated as a city landmark for its design, which draws heavily from the French Second Empire style of the late nineteenth century. The presence of its original carriage house is particularly notable, as it offers a preserved glimpse into the carriage-reliant, upper-middle-class lifestyle that once defined this specific corridor of the Mission District.