The Verdier Mansion rests along a grand Russian Hill public stairway, its neighboring homes among the city’s most historic, illustrious and expensive. But even among such rarified company, 1001 Vallejo St. stands apart, not just for its beauty but for its incredible — and quintessentially San Franciscan — story. 

For 120 years, this mansion has been home to influential and famous denizens of the city, from business tycoons and cultural icons to high-level bankers and even a Nobel Prize winner. But it was also, for a time, an opium den, a brothel and an officers’ club. With such lore, it’s no wonder the Verdier Mansion has been dubbed “the House of the Grand Passion.” Now, for the first time in 20 years, this property is for sale, asking $25 million. 

The historic Verdier Mansion at 1001 Vallejo St. is for sale for the first time in 20 years, asking $25 million.

The Verdier Mansion is a local celebrity. Painted a verdant peacock green with window frames and ironwork in glossy black, the 9,545-square-foot abode rises to six levels.

Article continues below this ad

The mansion is impossible to miss atop Taylor Street, where the Vallejo Street steps descend to North Beach. Even for people who don’t live in SF, this is a recognizable property: Embellished by only minor CGI, it is the mysterious “dream house” featured in Season 2 of the Netflix series “The OA.” The home’s facade is immense, spanning 100 feet along the street-facing frontage of its oversized 8,285-square-foot lot. 

Inside, a limestone reception room opens to a soaring hall, where swirling staircases link the home’s many floors. An elevator also connects each level of the home, from “its temperature-controlled wine cellar to its uppermost living spaces, culminating in an approximately 91-foot-long garage,” to quote the listing.

The home embraces its oversized lot in a unique fashion, with an internal courtyard on the lowest level, a wide terrace off the kitchen on the main level and a........

© SFGate