New Spray Foam Roof for Historic San Francisco Victorian
McMorry Lagan Historic Victorian
Spray Foam Roofing was recently installed to preserve a San Francisco Victorian designated as a historic landmark building.
The McMorry-Lagan complex consists of two 19th Century Victorians designed by architect Thomas J. Wales, and built by the homeowner, Farrel McMorry.
Two Homes
Built in 1883, the Italianate Victorian on the corner of Haight & Laguna Streets was home to Farrel McMorry, his wife Mary, and their only child Katie. To keep his daughter close, McMorry built an Eastlake style Victorian adjacent to the main house for Katie, when she married Dr. John Lagan in 1889. Although, McMorry died only two years later in 1891, the homes remained in his family for over one hundred years.
Perfectly Preserved Historic Landmark
In 1983, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors designated the century-old Victorians as historic landmarks. At the time Farrell’s sole remaining heir, his 88-year-old granddaughter Alice Lagan still resided in the home built for her mother, Katie. Preservationists were astounded to discover that Alice was living in a “virtual time capsule of late 19th-century living” with gas lighting in the upstairs bedroom and the original 1800’s wallpaper, carpeting, and custom furniture throughout the house. The pharmacy Alice’s father, Dr. Lagan had built for his in-house medical practice remained in pristine condition as was the attached barn with stalls, harness rack, and hayloft. In the barn were U.S. Army blankets left by Presidio soldiers who used the facility for emergency sleeping quarters while fighting the fire resulting from the 1906 earthquake.
Today, both Victorians are beautifully restored. The Eastlake Victorian is a private home, whereas the Italianate Victorian, now named The Parsonage, is operated as a bed and breakfast inn.
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