Cal Poly alum who founded cruise fleet is selling historic Bay Area home. Here’s a look

Terry MacRae, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate who built a two-person charter yacht operation into one of the nation’s top cruise fleets, and his wife are selling their historic East Bay estate for nearly $6.5 million, according to Compass real estate firm.

The Piedmont home was designed by Berkeley architect Clinton Day, whose most notable works include the City of Paris department store in San Francisco where the Neiman Marcus store now stands. Today, the department store in Union Square is known for its ornate rotunda topped by a stained-glass dome depiction of the Ville de Paris ship.

Day designed many striking Northern California homes in Piedmont, Berkeley and Oakland, as well as buildings on the UC Berkeley campus. The Piedmont mansion was one of his last designs before his death in 1916. Day also designed the Union Trust building and Gump’s department store in San Francisco.

The longtime residence of Terry and Mary MacRae is located at 236 Sea View Ave. in Piedmont, which is near Oakland. Terry MacRae owns Hornblower Cruises, a charter yacht, dining cruise and ferry service company. Mary MacRae is listed as the primary property owner of the residence, according to public records.

“This quintessential Piedmont Estate is an extraordinary combination of architectural history, stately elegance, and modern amenities,” the property listing states.

Listing agent Matt Heafey elaborated on the history of the home in an email to the Sacramento Bee.

“This special home on Piedmont’s most desirable street was built in 1914 for Mrs. Mary S. Barker,” he said. “After Mrs. Barker’s death, there have been several noted residents. In 1935, one of the original inventors of the ‘pull down’ paper towel, the Johnston family, added the dining room with state-of-the-art steel construction. The Johnstons had a gold leaf ceiling applied in the dining room, which another owner in the 1960’s painted over. However, it was resurrected in the 199s after a conversation with the current owner and the Johnston’s son. The Johnstons loved opera and had many a famous singer perform in the expansive living room, as did the current owners.”

The mansion spans 7,297 square feet with five bedrooms and five-plus bathrooms.

Sitting on more than a third of an acre of beautiful grounds, the residence opens with a stunning two-story circular foyer.

The entry leads into an elegant and spacious living room and dining room, which both open onto a back terrace. The kitchen has been updated to include a central island, marble countertops, high-end appliances and custom finishes.

Original design details in the house, such as curved walls and the fireplace, are “exquisite,” the listing states.

A dramatic staircase leads to the light-filled bedrooms, including a primary bedroom suite with the original large pane-glass windows, an elegant bath and dressing room.

Downstairs, there is a family room, craft room, gym, workshop and a wine cellar.

On the grounds there are landscaped gardens, a reflecting pool with classical statuary, outdoor patios and decks.

The two-garage comes with an EV charger.

The City of Paris building at Geary and Stockton streets in San Francisco was constructed in 1896. City of Paris was one of San Francisco’s foremost department stores from 1850 to 1976. The company’s main San Francisco store was demolished in 1981 after a protracted battle to preserve the building, but the original rotunda and glass dome were incorporated into the new design for the Neiman Marcus store.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire severely damaged the building’s interior, but the structure was redesigned by John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown and rebuilt with the rotunda.