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For the first time in decades, a storied Telegraph Hill apartment building tied to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is on the market for $8 million. The 11-unit property at 36–52 Calhoun Terrace was completed in 1938. Originally known as the Hoeffler Building, it steps down the eastern slope of the hill in a Swiss village–style cascade of balconies, decks, and picture windows overlooking the bay.
Vanguard Properties
Kahlo and Rivera lived in apartment 42 in 1940, during a brief but charged stay in San Francisco. He was working across the water on Pan American Unity, the monumental mural he painted for the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island; she arrived in the city in fragile health, dealing with chronic back pain and complications that required local medical treatment. In the middle of it all, the couple—fresh off a 1939 divorce—quietly remarried at San Francisco City Hall. That same period produced Self-Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser, the painting she made as a gift to the doctor who treated her.
Today; the complex is fully tenant-occupied. None of the units exceed about 950 square feet, there is no parking, and residents in the lower apartments climb multiple staircases to reach street level. But in exchange, they get expansive decks, abundant natural light, and unobstructed views of the bay and waterfront, plus original features like hardwood floors, fireplaces, built-ins, and colorful tiled bathrooms.
Vanguard Properties
The building sits on Lower Calhoun Terrace, a secluded, WPA-era street at the eastern end of Union Street. Next door is the Sidney Kahn House, a 1939 Richard Neutra-designed residence that’s considered one of his signature San Francisco works.
The property is currently listed for $8 million with Jean-Paul Samaha, represented by Vanguard Properties.
Julia Cancilla is the social media & news editor at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand’s socials and covers design, pop culture, and emerging trends. She also authors the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. Her work has appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.