Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
Owl's Nest, built and owned by George Marsh. Located at what is now 17 Marsh Drive on a hillside above Corte Madera Avenue in Blithedale Canyon, it was nearly as famous with the public as the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park which Marsh also designed. The entrance of Owl's Nest (a translation of the Japanese word "Miyajima") resembled temple gates at Nikko. Lanterns and pottery ornamented the home's garden. The main house had sliding panels and windows made of translucent paper. In 1890 Marsh purchased 32 acres of land in Mill Valley's Blithedale Canyon and in 1892 built this "summer home" for his family. The estate had its own railroad station along the route of the Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway and featured a tall torii entrance a short distance up Marguerite Avenue. Unfortunately, the home sustained major fire damage in the large fire of 1899 and was finally destroyed by the fire of 1925.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
