Oliver Rousseau

Oliver Marion Rousseau (1891–1977) was an American architect, home builder/contractor, and real estate developer. He worked in the San Francisco Bay Area, in particular the Sunset District of San Francisco, as well as Hayward, California. He came from a family of noted architects and co-founded the architecture firm Rousseau and Rousseau, and later the Marian Realty Co..

Early life and family Oliver Marion Rousseau was born on December 6, 1891, in San Francisco, California. His father, Charles M., was of Belgium ancestry and was born in Rotterdam; he was also an early architect in the city of San Francisco. The Rousseau family home was located at 1903 Webster Street in San Francisco starting roughly in 1901. they had one child; the local newspapers published the couple's separation in 1916. By 1918, they filed for divorce. The Rousseau's divorce was public and "messy", and around the same time his brother Arthur experienced a similar divorce situation. The office for Rousseau and Rousseau moved to 110 Sutter Street, and later to 1141 Market Street in San Francisco in 1923.

In 1922, the two brothers founded the Marian Realty Co. and focused on building hotels, office buildings and apartment houses until the Great Depression. Oliver worked as the architect designing all of the buildings, while Arthur focused on raising money. In 1930, the company pivoted to residential construction and they focused on the Sunset District of San Francisco.

According to SF historian Lorri Ungaretti: "There is a sameness of the central Sunset, block after block of quiet streets where the houses look all the same. Rousseau came along and broke that up. He created something that's more whimsical and fun. He put a little charm in every house, and each one is just enough different to make it attractive." Cameo Apartments (1916), 485 Eddy Street (now 481 Eddy Street), San Francisco, California; designed by Rousseau and Rousseau, part of the NRHP-listed Uptown Tenderloin Historic District Egyptian Theatre (1924), 1067–1071 Market Street, San Francisco, California; architects Rousseau and Rousseau, part of the NRHP-listed Market Street Theatre and Loft District 1564 36th Avenue (1932), San Francisco, California; the model home for Sunset neighborhood development