The house, featured on a 1909 postcard, melds Tudor Revival, Craftsman, and Richardsonian Romanesque styles.
The City Council has upheld the historic designation of a Bankers Hill home that advocates say is a rare architectural gem, while others call it Frankenstein.
The mixed-style house sits in a mixed-use neighborhood rich in transit, bike lanes and jobs, which developers tout in making their case for new high rise housing in the area.
A proposal to alter or demolish the building led to the historic designation last September. Named after its first owner, the Frederick Thomas House faces Balboa Park on the corner of Thorn Street and Sixth Avenue.