John and Donna Skeen listed San Francisco’s Verdier Mansion on 1001 Vallejo Street for $25 million on August 1, 2026, following a two‑decade ownership that began with a $12 million purchase in 2006.
The six‑level, 9,545‑sq‑ft house was designed in 1905‑06 by architect Houghton Sawyer for mining magnate Robert G. Hanford, who commissioned it for Gabrielle Guittard Cavalsky of the Guittard chocolate family.
After Verdier’s 1919 acquisition, the home became a cultural hub, hosting artists’ balls, and later fell into a period of neglect that saw it used as an opium den, a brothel run by Sally Stanford, and a WWII officers’ club where John F. Kennedy reportedly visited 17 times.
In 1992, physicians Thomas Grotz and Lena Grotz restored the mansion, adding a spiral staircase, modern kitchen, and luxury finishes, while economist Myron Scholes owned it from 1998 until the Skeens’ purchase.
The current listing highlights the property’s six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, two powder rooms, an elevator, a climate‑controlled wine cellar, terraces, and an interior courtyard that overlook the Bay Bridge and Coit Tower.
The sale will be conducted through a competitive bidding process, with the transaction expected to close by early 2027, potentially setting a new benchmark for Russian Hill luxury real estate.