Tiburon, California. 1874. The Lyford House. This turreted, Second Empire cottage accented with ornately carved gables was built by Dr. Benjamin Lyford and his wife Hilarita on land owned by Hilarita's family, who were the largest landowners in Marin County. Threatened by development, the house was floated by barge to its present site in 1957 and is open to the public, part of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Tiburon.