William Westerfeld House - Alamo Square

This house has a crazy wild past! William Westerfeld, was a German-born confectioner, arrived in San Francisco in the 1870s. He hired local architect Henry Geilfussto to design for his family of six a 28-room mansion with an adjoining rose garden and carriage house.

Houdini, experimented in top rooms attempting to send telepathic messages to his wife across the Bay. In 1928, the house was bought by Czarist Russians who turned the place into a nightclub called "Dark Eyes". In 1948, the night club had shut down and the house became a 14-unit apartment building that was rented to African-American Jazz Musicians, including John Handy.

By the 1960's, creepy filmmaker, Kenneth Anger moved in. His visitors included Charles Manson and his cult. Anger and his friends would also hold satanic rituals in the ballroom. This attracted Anton Zandor LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan and wrote The Satanic Bible. Other notable people who visited the house over the years include Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin and so many more!

Bring a chair, dress warm, it might be cold. Meet at 1230 to share.