San Anselmo is very desirable for many renters and investors, as it is one of the most charming areas in Marin. Located at a major crossroads in the center of the county, San Anselmo has a picturesque, walkable downtown with restaurants, wine bars and shops. San Anselmo sits between Ross and Fairfax, and shares some characteristics of both, with cozy bungalows and grand estates. San Anselmo schools are first rate. The community offers activities for young and old, from classes and camps to holiday tree lighting and summer outdoor movies.
CITY HISTORY
Since the days when the Coast Miwok Indians roamed the oak-studded hills and fished the fresh waters of San Anselmo Creek San Anselmo have appealed to all who have passed this way. Indian artifacts have been discovered near the Hub, hinting that it was probably a center of activity, a crossroads. By the mid-1800s the Mexican government had granted parts of what we now know as San Anselmo to various families, which was later in part purchased by James Ross whose descendants still live in the area.
The sights, sounds, and smells of San Anselmo were primarily pastoral until 1874 when the North Pacific Coast Railroad added to its line a spur track from San Anselmo to San Rafael. It wasn’t until San Francisco Theological Seminary was built in 1892 that the town began to grow.
