Ernest Cerf's SLO House

Ernest Cerf lived in San Luis Obispo for about thirty years, from around 1868 to 1898. His eight children were born there. They lived in a house on South Higuera Street, which is now the main business street in downtown San Luis Obispo, the street that is closed to automobiles during our famous Thursday evening farmers’ market.  In those days, however, Monterey Street was the main business Street, the street where the Blochman and Cerf store was located.

Although I assume Ernest Cerf had the house built, in San Luis Obispo the house eventually became known as the Sauer house.  Here is a photo that was supposedly taken after it was purchased by Andrew Sauer. The year on the back of the photo says 1887, but Ernest Cerf still lived in San Luis Obispo then. I have been unable to track down the deed to the property because the purchase/sale transaction did not occur directly between Cerf and Sauer and maybe because Ernest Cerf and his family lived in another house for a time before they left San Luis Obispo.

Probably because the downtown was growing, Sauer had the house moved around the corner, exactly when I don’t know. In the new location, the house had a view across the street of the Mission Vineyards. At the time of the move, the house was enlarged. Here is a photo taken many years after the move and the renovations.

Unfortunately, the home was torn down sometime after 1962, and the last lot the house sat on is now a bank parking lot.

References:

Photos courtesy of the San Luis Obispo History Center.