In 2005, San Francisco Beautiful recognized Sylvester House Restoration with a Beautification Award. In 1978, Linda Blacketer found the abandoned and dilapidated Sylvester House (built in 1865) in the Bayview. Her goal was to restore the house to its original condition — not just to modernize its interior behind a classical façade. It took many years of search and sacrifice to achieve the historically relevant showplace that makes its neighbors proud. The house has become a Bayview landmark not only for its historic significance but because it hosts community and political meetings open to the neighborhood. Linda also founded the new Bayview Historical Society. Her husband Dan Dodt is a long-term member of the Bayview Project Area Committee and serves on the board of the Alliance for a Clean Waterfront. Both have been active in neighborhood improvement efforts and promoting sustainable development for a cleaner environment in the Bayview.
For more than 40 years, San Francisco Beautiful has been honoring San Franciscans who make special contributions to the unique character and beauty of our City with the Annual Beautification Awards.