554 Van Buren Street
1912 Dutch Colonial Revival
This is an example of Dutch Colonial Revival and was home to George Edward Selby who was in the hauling business. As early as 1905, he ran the Monterey Selby Draying & Transfer Co and by 1926 the Highland Inn Stage Line out of the Union Storage Depot on Tyler Street. Selby lived in the residence until the late 1930s and may have begun taking in lodgers at that time. Madam Flora Woods from John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row lived here.
This Simple Colonial Revival with slight Queen Anne detailing replaced an original structure built prior to 1905 that extended to Union Street and included a carriage barn. The rear porch was added in 1944. Around 1947 the house was converted into a duplex with first and second floors separated. In 2008, the present owners, Ken and Karen Williston, purchased the home and began a major restoration project, returning it to a single residence, making foundation improvements and redoing all interior rooms.
Historic marker: This is an example of Dutch Colonial Revival Architecture and was home to George Edward Selby who was in the hauling business as early as 1905. Running the Monterey Selby Draying & Transfer Co. and later the Highland Inn Stage Line. Madam Flora Woods from John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row reportedly lived here.
Directions to next house: Continue down Van Buren Street towards Jefferson Street (towards the water). The next house is the Charles and Agatha Few House (504 Van Buren Street), #3 in the map below.
