Perched on a particularly steep block of Broadway between Fillmore and Steiner Streets, this year’s Decorator Showcase, at 2315 Broadway, affords incredible views of the bay. This Queen Anne residence graces the hillside with intricate detailing and is nearly an architectural twin to its uphill neighbor. Both were designed by the same architect, just two years apart, at the end of the 19th century.
The client: In 1897, Philip Anspacher, a prosperous hay and grain merchant, commissioned architect Moses J. Lyon to build this grand Victorian family home. The Anspacher family story reflects the classic American immigration experience. Philip’s parents, Abraham and Babette, were Bavarian Jewish immigrants who traveled from Cincinnati to Louisville and Evansville before finally arriving in San Francisco in 1868.
While their business was in the East Bay, the Anspachers lived in the city. Abraham Anspacher became a pillar of the community, serving as president of Congregation Emanu-El. One of Abraham Anspacher’s sons, Philip, married Bertha Schussler in 1882. They resided in Livermore before building their home on the steep slope on Broadway. The 1900 U.S. Census recorded that Philip and Bertha lived in the home with their daughter, Alice; Philip’s father, Abraham; and his nephew, Lawrence Meyers. The household also included two German domestic helpers. Alice Anspacher later married her cousin, Lawrence Meyers, who had shared the Broadway home with her and her family…