One of Santa Cruz’s most recognizable Victorian houses hits the market on the Westside

Growing up in Santa Cruz, Eli Karon had his first sleepover in the elegant painted lady Victorian on Highland Avenue just off of Mission Street when he was just 4 or 5 years old. Little did he know that he would be selling that same house a few decades later.

“I grew up on the same street, so emotionally it has a lot of meaning,” said Karon, the managing broker of real estate agency Karon Properties. “And I think the reason is because of the family” who owns the house.

That family is the Ows, the well-known real estate and philanthropic clan who have been in Santa Cruz for generations. George Ow Jr. and his wife, Gail Michaelis-Ow, purchased the home in 1975 and they have lived there ever since. That makes this the first time the 2,400-square-foot historic home, with a 556-square-foot carriage house, has been on the market in about 50 years. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house is listed at $1,998,000.

Ow said the home was perfect for his family during their 49 years there. Back in 1975, Michael Schweyer, a friend of his, introduced Ow to then-owners Dana and Frank Roush. The house was not yet on the market, and Ow wanted to close the deal before someone else could possibly sneak in front of him. He ended up purchasing it for about $67,500.

“When Michael pointed the house out to me, my heart leaped,” he said. “I loved the French Second Empire style and this one was a beautiful rendition. It is on a busy corner and I had passed and admired it many times.”  

Internationally famous swimmer, surfer and paddler Sam Reid was one of the house’s previous owners, and Ow — an avid boogie-boarder himself — believes that Reid’s spirit protected him and gave him good fortune: “I feel that the spirit of Sam Reid looked after me, sent me good waves when I was at Steamer Lane, and kept me safe.”

The Chinese Exclusion Act — a federal law prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers for a decade — was passed the same year that the house was built, which adds another layer of meaning for the family.

“I figured that if I owned the house, being Chinese American, it would spit in the eye of that completely unfair law — one that ruined the lives of Chinese families for 61 years until 1943, the year I was born,” Ow said. “That gave me more motivation to own it, and I feel that the spirits of Chinese pioneers that went through hard times in Santa Cruz are looking out for me, too.”

Ow said he and his wife are moving for a number of reasons, but more simply, they were just looking for a change and stumbled upon another home just a mile away on the Upper Westside that they fell in love with. He said the move also forces him to get rid of a bunch of books and memorabilia that his wife has been telling  him to take care of for years.

“We thought that might be a good place to move to, and then I’d have to get rid of so much stuff,” said Ow. “But I have absolutely loved living at 203 Highland Avenue. My three sons grew up there and their children love being there.”

Built in 1882, just 16 years after the city of Santa Cruz was incorporated, the home has undergone a number of color changes — the Ows gave it a pink makeover when they bought it, and it’s currently a mix of dark purple and teal — as well as a few utility upgrades over the years, but many of the original features remain unchanged 142 years on. The home somehow even survived both the 1906 and the 1989 earthquakes that decimated a good portion of the Bay Area. 

“The construction is really amazing, especially since it was a time when the resources for quake safety were not the same,” said Karon. “It’s remarkable when you think that there was all that movement and shaking and the windows didn’t crack, the walls didn’t collapse, the foundation didn’t collapse.”

Karon said that is one of the many things that make the home special, aside from its beautiful appearance. The home was built with mostly virgin redwood, which makes it more resistant to pests than homes built in even the 1980s. It has 14-foot ceilings in the common areas, making for a spacious place for guests and gatherings, and natural light pours in from the vintage, single-pane windows. The home is a French Second Empire house, which makes it even more rare — many such buildings have been torn down over the past two centuries.

Given its uniqueness, Karon said that more than 200 people came to check it out in the first week it was on the market.

“Half the people who walk in the door say, ‘Gosh, I’ve always wanted to live in this house,’ or, ‘I’ve always admired this house,’” he said. “It’s just so special to see because it’s like walking through a museum.”

However, selling old homes comes with its set of challenges, too. Karon said that some of the utility systems are still fairly old. For example, while the single-pane windows have a classic look to them, they do not hold in warmth as well as double-pane windows would. Some of the electrical outlets are older as well, and feature only two prongs, limiting the options for which appliances can be plugged into them. That’s why Karon said he thinks the buyer will have to know the pros and cons.

“Good style never goes out of style, but not everybody wants a vintage home. The floor plans were different than they are now and not all of the utilities have been updated,” he said. “[The buyer] is going to be someone with a real appreciation for architecture and history and somebody who understands the allure of a Victorian.”

Even so, Ow says he feels good about the home’s next chapter, and will always look back on his family’s time there fondly. 

“That house had such good vibrations for us and we went through all kinds of beautiful cycles there,” he said. “Everything you could think of happened there and it’s served us so well.”

No matter who buys the property, Ow believes the house will stay a part of Santa Cruz history for ages.

“I think this house will outlast me, my children, and my grandchildren,” he said. “I’m thinking this is going to be there for a long, long time.”

– Tae Yun Kang contributed to this report.

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