The Nightingale House is a masterpiece of the Eastlake Style which also incorporates elements of the Carpenter Gothic, Second Empire and late Italian Villa styles. Specifically, its low-high-low rhythm is accentuated by strongly-marked vertical elements which provide striking contrast against the generally horizontal appearance of the building.

The house was built in 1882 by John Nightingale, Senior, who was a real estate dealer, property manager, Forty Niner, and President of the Society of California Pioneers. Nightingale was one of the chief builders in the neighborhood, but this "cottage" is all that remains of his extensive holdings in the vicinity. (Source: San Francisco Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, Revised Case Report, 19 April 1972.)

The house remains a private residence. The owner informed me that according to the 1882 edition of California Architecture magazine, John Marquis was the architect.