Committee recommends landmark designation for Lyon Martin House at 651 Duncan Street

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on April 26 voted unanimously to recommend designation of the Lyon Martin House at 651 Duncan Street as a San Francisco historic landmark.

Sponsor Supervisor Mandelmann (transcript) described Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin as early LGBTQ activists who used their home as a meeting place and community hub for more than 50 years. Pilar LaValley of the Planning Department summarized the Historic Preservation Commission’s recommendation: the property’s period of significance runs from 1955 to 2020 and the Historic Preservation Commission voted 6–1 to recommend designation of 651 Duncan Street for its association with pioneering lesbian rights activism and the Daughters of [transcript variants].

Speakers in support included representatives of the GLBT Historical Society, Friends of the Lyon Martin House, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, San Francisco Heritage and the property owner Meredith Jones McKeown, all of whom described the house’s cultural and historic significance and endorsed collaborative approaches to preservation and public interpretation.

The committee voted to forward the ordinance with a positive recommendation to the full Board.

Next steps: the landmark ordinance will be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors as a committee report for further action.