• Circa 1904 with classic vintage appeal to enjoy today or reimagine into your vision for the future

• 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms on two levels

• Approximately 2,070 square feet of living space

• Classic and timeless curb appeal with a nod to the early Craftsman style featuring an elevated front porch, shingled exterior, and carved corbels under the eaves

• A living wall of privacy hedges and prolific flowering gardens embrace the front of the home

• Front door, with 4 panes of beveled edge glass, opens to the formal living and dining rooms separated from one another and from the foyer by linear columns on low wall room dividers; tall wainscot paneling and coffered ceiling detail are showcased in each room along with an of-the-era chandelier

• The formal dining room also boasts a wood-burning fireplace outlined in tile and a traditional mantelpiece plus recessed china storage with a divided light glass door

• Bright and light eat-in kitchen has floral wallpaper, linoleum floor, and sleek white cabinetry topped in laminate; a ceiling fan and walk-in pantry lined with shelves are featured

• Appliances include a Frigidaire electric range with top and bottom ovens plus a Kenmore refrigerator

• A glass-paned door in the kitchen opens to the enclosed utility porch with washer/dryer hookups, sink, private commode room, and door to the rear yard

• Large bedroom off the foyer has a lighted ceiling fan, front window, deep closet, plus direct access to the main-level bathroom

• Colorful vintage tile selections adorn the bathroom walls surrounding a pedestal sink and tub with overhead shower; multi-colored linoleum finishes the floor and a second door opens to a central hallway with outside entrance

• Bedroom 2 has carpet, a pendant light, dropped crown moldings, and a large closet

• Upstairs, all with Douglas fir floors, includes a reading area at the top of the stairs and a full bath with console sink, glass-enclosed tiled shower, and colorful linoleum floor

• Bedroom 3 has a walk-in closet, access to attic storage, plus access to a secret playroom above the utility porch with shingled walls, expansive windows, and carpet

• Bedroom 4 features built-in display shelves, a wide window, walk-in closet, and dropped crown molding beneath a vaulted ceiling

• Other features include: partial basement with outside entrance; detached 2-car garage; private rear yard with lush foliage

• Lot size of approximately 7,140 square feet (almost 1.5 times the size of most lots in the area)

• Excellent Burlingame schools

• Extra-wide tree-lined streets with sidewalks 8 blocks to Caltrain and shopping and dining on renowned Burlingame Avenue and just 3 blocks to groceries, cafes, and restaurants

The home is deemed to have been built by John Miller White, a brick contractor and self-taught artist; exact date is questionable as records show both 1904 and 1909. At the time, the home was directly across the street from the lower end of the Crossways Farm Polo field, owned by Francis Carolan and Harriet Pullman, both renowned names in Hillsborough. A small number of owners and tenants followed Mr. White’s ownership, which is deemed to have been for at least 50 years. In 1972, the current owner, Martha Rosman and her husband Bob May purchased the property. They, along with like-minded individuals, developed a keen interest in the history of Burlingame homes and their owners and started collecting all kinds of items. This quickly grew into a collection kept in this home that would become the Burlingame Historical Society in 1975. In 1986, as the collection outgrew the home, the group was able to secure its current home at the Gunst Carriage House in Washington Park. For her decades of devotion to Burlingame’s history, Martha Rosman was awarded Burlingame Citizen of the Year in 1983 and was the city’s first recipient of Burlingame’s Walk of Fame award in 2008.

History of 215 Burlingame Avenue
Prepared by Jennifer Pfaff, Burlingame Historical Society

The home is believed to have been built around 1909, the first known listing appears in the 1909-1910 city directory. At the time, early settlers recall, there were few homes in the area; directly across the street was the lower end of Crossways Farm Polo Field, owned by Francis Carolan and Harriet Pullman

No specific plans have been found for the home, however, it seems likely that it was built by its first owner, a brick contractor named John Miller White, who had lived in another Burlingame location just a few years before.

Though White was a longtime, respected brick contractor, he was also a self-taught artist, and had painted pictures for decades. By 1911, at the urging of those who loved his work, he started to open up his 215 Burlingame Avenue home to display and sell his paintings to the public.

As of this writing, however, no J.M. White paintings have been found, however, an extensive story about the artist appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on February 5, 1911. Entitled “From Brick-Layer to Landscape Painter— the Remarkable Career of ‘Easy White’ the San Francisco Contractor”, written by Vivian Pierce, indicates his age at the time, of 50 years old, and recently retired. It noted that White now had more time to explore his longtime passion painting landscapes. The article notes that "the whole house is hung with pictures from floor to ceiling, and the tables are burdened with piles of sketches and pictures in the rough, and that it is in the [bachelor’s] kitchen that White actually paints, working rapidly with color."

With regard to his home, the article notes: “White’s house is a pretty, modern cottage where he has long lived quite alone, spending his spare moments in painting, going daily to San Francisco to pursue the nimble dollar. "The pictures," it notes, "were painted on vacation trips, Sunday jaunts about the bay and evening-ends and in the early morning before the day’s work had begun". It notes that he is self-taught and took advantage of every brick job in the big cities to observe the art of past and present.

A small handful of other owners (and tenants) followed over the next few decades.

By 1972, Martha Rosman and Bob May purchased 215 Burlingame Avenue. By that point, Bob had a second career as a realtor and was also a nationally known Lionel toy train collector; he would soon purchase neighboring 211 Burlingame Avenue, in part to house the enormous train collection in its basement, and eventually gave tours to model train enthusiasts arriving on bus tours.

Martha had worked as an editor for Sunset Magazine in Menlo Park, and also become a realtor upon moving to Burlingame. It was in the early-mid 1970s that she developed a keen interest in the history of Burlingame homes, in particular in the stories of the old-timers who made Burlingame into a highly desirable city.

She, Bob, and a group of like-minded individuals became so concerned that Burlingame history was being thrown away, that they started collecting all kinds of items. This quickly grew into a collection that filled every nook and cranny of the house at 215 Burlingame Avenue. This was the beginning of what would become the Burlingame Historical Society, founded in late 1975. Martha and the other founders devoted their time to collecting, preserving, and researching artifacts and information pertaining to both Burlingame and Hillsborough history, in the hopes it would not be forgotten.

In 1986, desperately in need of additional space, the group was able to secure the second story of the city’s Gunst Carriage House, in the back of Washington Park, where it is still housed, today.

For her decades of devotion to Burlingame’s history, Martha was awarded Burlingame Citizen of the Year in 1983, as well as being the city’s first recipient of Burlingame’s Walk of Fame award, in 2008, the year of Burlingame’s Centennial.