Historic Homes: San Francisco’s Le Petit Trianon, Arizona’s Little Daisy & Surfer-Architect Harry Gesner

Several interesting and historic U.S. homes are for sale including Le Petit Trianon that was modeled after King Louis XV’s Petit Trianon on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles and survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake – now for sale at $21.8 million.

Also the Little Daisy in Arizona that started out in 1919 as a hotel for miners at the largest copper deposit in the United States, later remade as a luxury mansion, is going to auction.

And Harry Gesner, a surfer-turned-self-taught architect who designed some of Southern California’s classic modern homes including his Triangle House in 1960 that is now for sale at $3.9 million.

All three homes are featured this week at TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.

“Le Petit Trianon – Survived 1906 San Francisco Earthquake”
San Francisco lost most of its buildings in the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed 80% of the town. However one of the city’s grand mansions did survive. Le Petit Trianon in the Presidio Heights neighborhood, built between 1902 and 1904 out of brick and sandstone and views of San Francisco Bay, was modeled after King Louis XV’s Petit Trianon on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. It is now for sale at $21.8 million.

“Arizona’s Little Daisy Going To Auction”
In 1912, Jimmy “Rawhide” Douglas hit the motherlode of copper deposits in Jerome, Arizona and put the town on the map. By 1919, Douglas was a billionaire and in order to accommodate all his miners, he built the Little Daisy Hotel, named after the mine. When the production of the mine dwindled after World War II, Douglas shut it down and sold the hotel to William Earl Bell, the man who created the world’s first atomic clock. In the 1990s, the hotel was remade as a luxury mansion. It is going to auction on June 26th.

“Harry Gesner’s Triangle House”
Surfer-turned-self-taught architect Harry Gesner’s thinking was unique. Instead of going to years of school to learn the trade, he did it on his own and became one of America’s best architects. His homes have drawn international fame such as his Wave House that he designed with a grease pencil onto his surfboard while astride it in the water. Gesner’s design ideas were the inspiration for the Sydney Opera House; his acclaimed works include Sandcastle, where he lived for 50 years, Ravens Eye, Eagles Watch, Scantlin House, now on the grounds of the Getty center, and the Triangle House which is for sale at $3.9 million.