William H. Ranlett
(July 3, 1806 – November 8, 1865) was an American architect and author. He moved from the East Coast to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush and is thought to have brought Italianate-style architecture with him to the city. He was a partner in the architecture firm, "Homer, Ranlett and Morrison".
Also recorded as William Ranlett
William H. Ranlett
- Name
- William H.
- Born
- July 3, 1806
- Birthplace
- Augusta, Maine, U.S.
- Died
- 8 November 1865
- Place of death
- Hohokus, Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S.
- Occupation
- Architect, author
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
(July 3, 1806 – November 8, 1865) was an American architect and author. He moved from the East Coast to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush and is thought to have brought Italianate-style architecture with him to the city. He was a partner in the architecture firm, "Homer, Ranlett and Morrison".
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William H. Ranlett (1806–1865) was an architect, of American nationality. The architect was born in Augusta and died in Bergen County. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q8010563 · wikipedia · William H. Ranlett
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William H. Ranlett • Born — July 3, 1806 • Birthplace — Augusta, Maine, U.S. • Died — 8 November 1865 • Place of death — Hohokus, Bergen County, New Jersey, U.S. • Occupation — Architect, author • Organization — Homer, Ranlett and Morrison
History
History
Ranlett published the periodical, The Architect. For two years between 1853 and 1854, Ranlett formed a partnership with Charles Homer (a general contractor), and Joseph H. Atkinson (a brick contractor) in order to design and build their own three houses (in the area now known as the Vallejo Street Crest Historic District) in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. It is thought that Ranlett had brought Italianate-style architecture to the city; and both the Atkinson House (1853) and Ranlett House (1853) were the first Italianate style buildings in San Francisco. By 1857, Ranlett went bankrupt, and he had returned to the East Coast. Some of Ranlett's architectural designs were published in Godey's Lady's Book, the influential fashion guide.
Works
Works
• Tudor Hall (built 1847 to 1852), Bel Air, Maryland • The Hermitage (remodeled 1847), Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey • Cooleemee (built 1853 to 1855), Mocksville, North Carolina • Colonel William Bratton House (same as? Hightower Hall, John Simpson Bratton House, York County Road 165, Brattonville Historic District, York County, South Carolina) • William H. Ranlett House, Castleton, Staten Island, New York City, New York • Robert D. Baskerville House, Mecklenburg County, Virginia; also known as Eureka • Myron Pardee House (now Sigma Tau Chi Fraternity House), 8 Montcalm Street, Oswego, New York; also known as Lakeside • Charles Homer House (1853; now demolished), roughly at 40 Florence Street, San Francisco, California • Joseph H. Atkinson House (1853), 1032 Broadway, San Francisco, California • William H. Ranlett House (1854), 1637 Taylor Street, San Francisco, California; also known as “The House of Many Corners”
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Augusta.
Birth place
Bergen County.
Death place
Publications
• William H. Ranlett, The Architect, Vol. I & II, New York: Dewitt & Davenport, 1847–1849. Reprint, New York: DaCapo Press, 1976.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8010563: William H. Ranlett
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “William H. Ranlett”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Michelson, Alan. William Ranlett. Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD).
- 2.Wiley, Peter Booth. National Trust Guide / San Francisco: America's Guide for Architecture and History Travelers. John Wiley & Sons. 254. 2000-09-26. 978-0-471-19120-9.
- 3.Early Residents. Russian Hill Neighbors (RHN).
- 4.Michelson, Alan. Homer, Charles, House, Russian Hill, San Francisco, CA. Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD).
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Richard C. Muhlberger, “William H. Ranlett, 19th-Century Architect and Publisher,” Historic Preservation, 22 (Jan.-March 1970), 10–15.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q8010563: William H. RanlettWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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- William H. StevensDesigner
- William H. WhiteDesigner
- William H. WillcoxDesigner
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