Late Press Democrat Publisher’s Santa Rosa Home Listed for Sale

Philanthropist and publisher Evert B. Person's custom Santa Rosa home, designed by the famous Sea Ranch architect William Turnbull, Jr., is listed for $5.8 million.


The custom-built home of Norma Person and her late husband, philanthropist and former Press Democrat publisher Evert B. Person, is currently listed for sale with an asking price of $5,800,000.

Before his death in 2011, Evert Person spent 40 years as publisher of The Press Democrat, retiring after selling the paper to The New York Times Company in 1985. Norma Person was part of the group of investors who returned The Press Democrat to local ownership in 2012.

The late architect William Turnbull, Jr. designed the five-bedroom, five-bathroom, 7,681-square-foot Santa Rosa home. Turnbull was one of the architects known for his iconic home designs in The Sea Ranch development in the 1960s.

Late Press Democrat Publisher’s Custom Home in Santa Rosa
Living room. (Ned Bonzi / Sotheby’s International Realty)

On a 4.3-acre site overlooking the Wine Country Polo Club, Turnbull created a unique dwelling combining his typical modern, light-on-the-land design approach with finishes that have a traditional influence.

Coffered ceilings, paneled walls and white-mullioned windows offer the grand and more decorated look that’s often eschewed in contemporary home designs. The result is a home that is cleanly modern but veers from austere to elegant.

Amenities include an infinity pool and spa. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom guest house is a generous 1,300 square feet.

For more information on this property at 775 White Oak Drive, contact listing agent Sandra Ormerod, 707-974-1372, 707-935-2288; Gael Bruno, 415-309-9094, 415-901-1747; Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage, 793 Broadway, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com