The Boyd Gate House was built in 1879 as a guest house for the family home next door known as Maple Lawn. Commissioned by Ira Cook, and designed by Adam Murray, this Victorian Gothic Revival style house had six bedrooms, two parlors, and a dining room. As reported in an article in The Marin Journal, "when completed, the place will be one of the most beautiful to be found on this coast." When Ira's granddaughter Louise married John Boyd, they were given the property that included Maple Lawn, the Gate House, and the extensive gardens that climbed into San Rafael Hill.