746 santa ynez street

Designed by Charles K. Sumner of San Francisco in a Mediterranean style with French influences, the home is set below street level on 1.15 private acres behind a dense screen of mature trees, and is nearly invisible from the street. The rear garden is an oasis, featuring a pool, two large decks, a stunning California live oak, redwoods, liquidambar, Monterey pines, and mature fruit trees. Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover purchased and completed the unfinished house while the future Hoover House was under construction on the crown of San Juan Hill. Original cedar shelves in the basement still bear the Hoovers' name. Three subsequent owners were distinguished Stanford faculty. The house is generous in scale throughout: a 13-foot entry hall, a 27-by-19-foot living room with sunroom, spacious dining room, and an upstairs primary suite with bedroom, bath, study, and dressing room. Period details include a multipaned arched staircase window, original French doors, and lath and plaster walls. Six bedrooms, 3.5 baths: 3,396 sq ft across two main floors, plus a 614 sq ft finished lower level that is not reflected in the tax record. Available to Stanford-eligible buyers only.