The Sam Brannan Cottage at the Sharpsteen Museum is one of the original 25 guest bungalows built in 1862 for Calistoga’s first spa resort, Indian Springs, established by town founder and entrepreneur Sam Brannan. The building reflects one of the two cottage designs, with a hipped roof, broad entry porch framed by a decorative arched colonnade, and tall arched windows and doorways. Ornamental details include gingerbread trim along the porch colonnade, cornice, and roof ridge, which together evoke the picturesque character of mid-nineteenth-century resort architecture.
Relocated to the Sharpsteen Museum in 1978 and fully restored, the cottage now serves as a centerpiece of Calistoga’s local history collection. Its preservation illustrates the city’s early architectural heritage and maintains a tangible link to the origins of Indian Springs and Brannan’s vision for Calistoga as a resort destination.
