The bing crosby house in Hillsborough, California, stood as a home for about sixty years. In fact, Bing Crosby bought the French chateau in 1965 for about $175,000. He lived there with his wife, Kathryn Crosby, and their three children. The home stayed in the family long after his death in 1977. Kathryn lived there until her death in September 2024. The Crosbys then sold the home in June 2025 for $25 million. A new owner renovated the house and listed it again in March 2026. The house still stands today, intact and full of charm. Its story links a known singer, a known racehorse, and one of the finest old homes in town.
Hillsborough Location
The house stands in Lower North Hillsborough, in San Mateo County. The town sits south of San Francisco, a quiet town known for large homes and green streets. Some put the home about 25 miles south of San Francisco. Other news puts it about 19 miles south. The exact gap is not clear, yet the area is clear. Still, the town gave the Crosbys calm and privacy. The town offered Bing a true home base. He could rest there between tours, films, and golf games. The town placed him near good golf courses. Golf shaped much of his life in California. The home suited a star who loved quiet days at home.
Buying the Hillsborough Estate
Bing Crosby bought the house in 1965. Later, he bought it with his wife, Kathryn Crosby. The price was about $175,000. The deal came after a round of golf with the Howards. The Howards owned the home at that time. Bing knew the family well through golf and racing circles. They had settled in town two years before, in 1963. Their first home in town was a large Tudor manor. The house gave them more space and more charm. It gave them a home with a known past. The Crosbys held the home for about sixty years. Then, that long hold shows how much the home meant to them. It was not a short stay or a quick flip. It was the heart of home life for three generations.
Seabiscuit and the Howard Family
The house was built in 1929 for sportsman Lindsay Howard. Howard asked for a French chateau in the hills of town. The Howards owned the racehorse Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit became one of the best-known horses in American racing. In fact, the horse won big races and won the hearts of fans. The Howard link gave the house a sporting past before Bing arrived. Lindsay Howard loved horses, golf, and the good life. Bing shared that love of golf and horses. The two families moved in the same circles. A round of golf led to the sale of the house. The Seabiscuit link stayed part of the home story. Later, it tied a Hollywood singer to a racing legend. The house thus held two kinds of fame at once.
Crooner Who Shaped Hollywood
Bing Crosby was one of the most loved voices of his time. His warm voice filled radios, records, and film screens for decades. He sang with ease and charm. He acted in films with the same calm style. His work shaped popular music and film in America. He also loved golf with a deep passion. Golf filled his free days in California. He played often and played well. Meanwhile, his love of the game led him to town. The town gave him fine courses and good friends. The house gave him a quiet base for a busy career. The house held that calm for decades.
Tour of the Estate
The home greets guests with a grand French house in soft stone. The house rises with steep roofs, tall windows, and fine detail. Inside, the rooms flow from grand halls to warm home spaces. For example, a hand-carved wooden staircase stands near the entrance. Its rail came from the Hearst trove. The office holds woodwork from Hearst Castle. The den holds a black marble hearth. Its woodwork links to Marion Davies, a star of old Hollywood. A grand piano from the 1956 film High Society stands in the home. The oval dining room holds a Venetian glass chandelier. In the end, hand-painted rose garden murals by Albert Proom cover its walls.
A vintage walk-in refrigerator fits the kitchen. A four-car garage sits near the house. A swimming pool rests in the grounds. Oak trees and hedgerows frame the whole home. Each part adds to a sense of old grace.
What Makes the Estate Unique
The home stands out for its past and its craft. Overall, few homes link a singer, a racehorse owner, and a media king in one place. The Hearst pieces give the home a rare past. The stair rail came from the Hearst trove. The office woodwork came from Hearst Castle. The den woodwork links to Marion Davies. These pieces tie the house to old Hollywood in a real way. At the same time, the High Society piano adds film lore to the rooms. The rose murals add art to the dining room. Its sixty-year hold adds to its charm. The Crosbys shaped its life for decades. The house feels lived in and loved, not just grand. That mix of fame, craft, and home life sets it apart.
Architecture, Size and Land
The house was built in 1929 in French Renaissance Revival style. It looks like a French house, with steep roofs and fine stone work. Indeed, John Bakewell Jr. and Ernest Weihe designed the home. The size is not fully clear. Some say about 13,000 sq ft. Others say 13,635 sq ft. Still others say 14,000 sq ft. The lead size is about 13,000 sq ft, with the range flagged. The home holds 11 bedrooms in every account.
The bathroom count differs by source. Some say 10 bathrooms. Others say 10 full bathrooms plus 5 half bathrooms. The lot also varies by account. Instead, some say 5.36 acres across four parcels. Other news gives about five acres. The 5.36-acre figure describes the home before the later split. After the 2025 sale, the main house sat on about 2.4 acres. The grounds hold a pool, mature oaks, and thick hedgerows. The four-car garage adds to the home.
Sixty Years of Family Life
The Crosbys held the home for about sixty years. Bing bought the home in 1965 with Kathryn. Their three children grew up there: Harry, Mary, and Nathaniel Crosby. Then, Bing died on 14 October 1977 in Madrid, Spain. He died of a heart attack after golf, aged 74. Kathryn stayed in the home after his death. She kept the house as the family base for decades. She lived there until her death in September 2024. Harry Crosby spoke of the home with warmth in later news. The Crosbys also filmed Minute Maid ads at the home. Those ads brought the house to TV screens. The home thus held work and home life at once. Sixty years with the Crosbys gave the house a deep past. Few star homes stay with one owner for so long.
Inside the Hillsborough Chateau
The rooms inside the house mix grand scale with warm home use. Fine craft fills the halls, yet the home still feels lived in. Old wood, marble, and art give each room its own charm.
Grand Entrance
The entrance sets the tone for the whole house. Tall doors open to a wide hall with fine detail. Light falls through tall windows onto wood floors. Therefore, the hand-carved wooden staircase rises near the hall. Its rail came from the Hearst trove. The carving shows fine skill and old craft. The entrance thus greets guests with grace and calm. It hints at the past held in the rooms past it.
Bedrooms
The house holds 11 bedrooms in every account. That count stays firm across sources. The rooms spread through the upper floors of the house. Finally, the main bedroom suite gave Bing and Kathryn a calm retreat. Kids’ rooms held Harry, Mary, and Nathaniel as they grew. Guest rooms held friends and kin who stayed for visits. The bedroom count shows the scale of home life here. Eleven rooms could hold a big clan with ease. The house thus worked as a true home.
Bathrooms
The bathroom count differs by source, so it is not clear. Some say 10 bathrooms for the house. Others say 10 full bathrooms plus 5 half bathrooms. The gap shows how hard old home counts can be. At first, the baths kept a classic style in line with the house. Marble and tile gave them a clean, calm look. No single count can be called firm today. The lead count is 10 bathrooms, with the larger count flagged. The home clearly held ample bath space for all who lived there.
Living Spaces
The living spaces flow from grand halls to cosy family rooms. The den stands out as a warm heart of the home. It holds a black marble hearth and fine woodwork. As a result, the woodwork links to Marion Davies and old Hollywood. Kin and friends could gather there for talk and rest. The grand piano from the 1956 film High Society added music to the rooms. Its past tied the home to film history. The rooms held art and fine craft at each turn. The oval dining room gave meals a grand yet warm feel. Its Venetian glass chandelier lit the table with soft light. In particular, hand-painted rose garden murals by Albert Proom covered the walls. The living spaces thus mixed grandeur with daily home use.
Kitchen
The kitchen met the needs of a big clan with ease. Its size fits a home of 11 bedrooms. A vintage walk-in refrigerator stands as a rare old feature. It shows how the house worked in its early years. The kitchen gave cooks room to work and serve. The room kept a plain, useful style. It did not chase showy modern trends. In turn, its charm came from age and honest craft. The vintage fridge still draws the eye today. It marks the kitchen as a piece of the home past. The room thus holds both use and charm.
Bing’s Den and Office
Bing’s den and office gave him a private work space at home. The office holds woodwork from Hearst Castle. That woodwork ties the room to a grand old home. The den, known as the library, holds a black marble hearth. Its woodwork links to Marion Davies. Also, Bing could read, plan, and rest in these rooms. The den felt warm and quiet, far from the grand halls. The rooms show his love of calm and craft. They show the Hearst link in a clear way. The den and office thus stand as the most personal rooms in the house.
Security & Privacy
The home gave the Crosbys real peace. Hillsborough itself is a quiet town with large lots. The house sits back from the road behind trees. Still, mature oaks and thick hedgerows screen the house from view. Large grounds keep neighbours at a good distance. The house thus feels calm and closed to the outside world. No public tours or crowds shaped life at the home. The grounds and trees did the work of a high wall. Peace came from land and green, not from harsh fences. The home thus was a true retreat.
The 2025 Sale
The Crosbys listed the home in early 2025. The listing month differs by source, with February and March both named. The asking price was $40 million. Jennifer Gilson of Golden Gate Sotheby’s led the sale. In fact, it sold on 12 June 2025 for $25 million. The buyer was a local buyer. The sale came after less than four months on the market. The price sat far under the $40 million asking price. Some accounts called it one of the top sales in town history.
Others gave different record claims for the sale. Those claims cannot all describe the same record. Some tied a $32 million record to a home once owned by Elon Musk. A second account named a $23 million past record for the Western White House. A third account called the sale the highest in two years. No firm record claim can be made from these mixed accounts. In fact, the sale itself stays firm: $25 million on 12 June 2025. The deal ended the Crosbys’ long hold after about sixty years.
Relist After Renovation
The buyers renovated the home after the 2025 sale. Mehrdad and Neda Elie bought the home and led the work. The work took about eight months. It cost about $3 million. The work refreshed the house while keeping it intact. The buyers then split the land into four lots. The main house now sits on about 2.4 acres, down from 5.36 acres. One empty lot from the split already sold for $5 million. The house returned to the market in March 2026.
The relist price was $28.995 million. Some news rounds that price to $29 million. In fact, the two figures describe the same price. The relist price is not a sale price. No new sale had closed at the time of the relist. The relist showed the house in fresh shape after the work. It showed the new, smaller lot size. The home thus passed from the Crosbys to new hands. Its old charm stayed in place through the change.
Other Homes Bing Owned
Bing Crosby owned more homes besides the main house. His other homes ranged from a first town manor to ranches and desert hideaways. Each one served a different part of his life.
First Hillsborough Home
The Crosbys settled in town in 1963. Their first home there was an English Country Tudor manor. In fact, the manor held about 10,000 sq ft on 3 acres. It held 10 bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms. A grand ballroom with a hearth held large gatherings. A heated pool was ready for warm days. A chauffeur’s apartment housed staff who lived on the grounds. The Crosbys lived there from 1963 until 1965. They then moved to the house nearby. The Tudor manor thus was their first town base. A later owner listed the manor for $13.75 million in 2021. The home still links to the start of the Crosby years in town. It shows how the family grew into Hillsborough life.
Nevada Elko Ranch
Bing owned ranches in the Elko County, Nevada area in the 1940s and 1950s. In the end, he owned seven ranches there in those years. The ranches gave him escape from Hollywood life. One ranch stayed in the news through the years. That ranch held about 3,000 acres of land. Its house held five bedrooms and about 5,000 sq ft. A private airstrip and an airplane hangar stood on the ranch. The land held room for about 600 cattle. In fact, it listed for $7.28 million in 2019. It then sold off-market for $14.2 million in August 2026. That sale price nearly doubled the 2019 asking price. The ranch shows a different side of Bing. He loved wide land, horses, and the quiet of Nevada. The Elko ranch held that life for him.
Palm Desert Hideaway
Bing held a hideaway in Palm Desert. The home stood in the Ironwood Country Club. The land was once known as Silver Spur Ranch. For example, the main house held three bedrooms, by one note. Two guest casitas housed friends and kin. A saltwater pool was ready for warm desert days. The lot held 2.5 acres, by one note. These details come from a single weak source. They should be treated with care until more proof appears. The hideaway thus adds a desert note to his home story.
Palm Springs Movie Colony
Bing held a Spanish Hacienda in Palm Springs. The home stood in the Movie Colony neighbourhood. At the same time, it held 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. It held 3,237 sq ft and was built in 1934. Bing and his first wife, Dixie Lee, came to Palm Springs from the 1930s. They played in local golf tournaments there. The hacienda gave him a base in the heart of that scene. Its style suited the desert and the era. The home thus links Bing to the early Palm Springs star scene.
Estate After the Sale
The home changed hands in June 2025 after sixty years. The new owners chose to refresh the home, not to tear it down. That choice kept the house intact for the future. In fact, the eight months of work cost about $3 million. It gave the house a fresh look while keeping its old bones. The land split changed the shape of the home. Four lots came from the first 5.36 acres. The main house kept about 2.4 acres. One empty lot sold for $5 million.
The house then returned to the market in March 2026 at $28.995 million. The relist showed the home in its new state. No tunnel network under the home has been confirmed. Indeed, the lower level holds a basement used for storage and laundry. The tunnel story stays a legend, not a verified fact. No documented link ties Tori Spelling to the home. The house thus stands today as a refreshed historic home. Its past stays clear in its rooms and grounds.
Bing Crosby Net Worth
Bing Crosby died in 1977, so his wealth must be read in that year. Some say his net worth at death was $50 million in 1977. That same note puts the sum at about $250 million in current value. The $50 million sum comes from a single weak source. Instead, it should not be read as a firm, true sum. A vague claim of wealth over billions has no firm figure or proof. That claim should not be used. The Crosby catalog stake sale to Primary Wave Music in 2021 shows that lasting value. The deal confirms that his work still earned worth decades later. His net worth thus stays an estimate, not a firm fact. The $50 million sum serves as the best single-source estimate.
Bing Crosby House FAQs
Where Is Bing Crosby House?
The house stands in Lower North Hillsborough, in San Mateo County. The town sits south of San Francisco. For example, one account puts it about 25 miles south of the city. Other news puts it about 19 miles south. The town gave the family calm, green streets, and privacy.
When Did Bing Buy It?
Bing bought the house in 1965 with his wife, Kathryn Crosby. The price was about $175,000. The deal came after a round of golf with the Howards. The Crosbys had settled in town in 1963 in a Tudor manor. They moved to the house two years later.
What Did It Sell For?
The home sold on 12 June 2025 for $25 million. The Crosbys had listed it in early 2025 at $40 million. Therefore, the buyer was a local buyer. The sale came after less than four months on the market. The home then relisted in March 2026 at $28.995 million after work.
Was the House Torn Down?
No, the house was not torn down. The 2025 buyer pledged to revamp and refresh the home, not to demolish it. The eight months of work cost about $3 million. The March 2026 relist confirms the house stands intact. Its 1929 charm stays in place.
What Was His Net Worth?
Some say his net worth at death in 1977 was $50 million. That sum equals about $250 million in current value in the same account. The figure comes from a single weak source. Finally, it should be read as an estimate, not as a firm fact. His catalog stake sale in 2021 shows his work kept its value.
Conclusion
The bing crosby house in town tells a long and rich story. A French house built in 1929 passed from the Howards to Bing Crosby in 1965. The Howard link tied the home to Seabiscuit, a racing legend. The Hearst pieces tied it to old Hollywood craft. Bing and Kathryn made it a home for about sixty years. At first, their children grew up in its rooms and grounds. Kathryn kept the home until her death in September 2024.
The Crosbys sold it in June 2025 for $25 million. New owners refreshed it with care and listed it again in March 2026 at $28.995 million. The house was not torn down. It stands today with its past intact. Its size is not clear. It runs between 13,000 and 14,000 sq ft. Its worth at death stays an estimate. Yet its place in town stays clear. It remains a historic home with a known past and a bright future.
