Fred and Caroline Mason Home

This iconic Queen Anne style home, with its towering turret and unique stained glass windows, is located at 1931 21st street and is believed to be the most photographed single-family home in the city of Sacramento. It was constructed in 1903 by Fred and Caroline Mason, proprietors of Mason's Steam Laundry as well as Mason’s Haberdashery. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mason lived in the home until their deaths.

In the decades following Mrs. Caroline Mason’s death, the home she built with her husband at 1931 21st Street fell into disrepair and was at risk of being condemned. In 1969, Bill and Alice Smith, proprietors of a local photography studio, saved the property. The Smiths spent 14 years renovating and furnishing the home, including the installation of a new roof and adding steel beam supports to stabilize the structure. Even as the Smiths took pains to preserve the home, in the years following their deaths, the property once again needed major repairs. In 2017, a new family purchased the stately residence and performed a comprehensive and historically-respectful restoration of this beautiful home.

Featured images (in order of appearace): 1) Mason-Smith Home located at 1931 21st Street, 2) A 1890s image of the staff at Fred and Caroline Mason's steam laundry enterprise, which was located only a few blocks north at 21st and O Streets.