Rehabilitation of oldest wood framed home in San Luis Obispo
John Belsher managed the successful relocation and rehabilitation of the 1874 Norcross House at 546 Higuera. This house is owned by a company in which he is a partner, Higuera Commons, LLC. The house is listed on the historic register of San Luis Obispo and with an origin of 1874 is thought to be the oldest stick-built home in the City. Historic reports by historians on file with the City recant the occupation of the home by its first owner, Sheriff Norcross (also the Tax Collector at the time). The historic house is kept in its original design and location being two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. Plumbing has been added to accommodate a kitchen and bathrooms, which were outdoor facilities in the original home. The rehabilitation effort took over two years to complete, preserving the unique “Carpenter-Gothic” architecture. This narrow window of architecture is also represented by the St. Stephens Episcopal Church building at Nipomo and Pismo, which dates to 1867 (having survived a dramatic fire gutting the interior and damaging the roof (but not the stained glass) circa 1967.
The rehabilitation of the 900 sq ft Norcross House resulted in many features which will be of interest to patrons of historic buildings as well as passers-by.
The property is behind security fencing and gates, adjacent to the 30-space, 60-unit Downtown Terrace project at 550 Higuera developed by John Belsher and his Higuera Commons partners. |