San Francisco Hotel Project2

Sentinel

^{McALLISTER TOWER - 100 McALLISTER ST.}

(Originally Temple Methodist Church and William Taylor Hotel). 1927. Architects: Miller & Pfleuger and Lewis P. Hobart. 28 stories, steel frame structure with brick walls; articulated steel frame with recessed copper spandrels; set-back skyscraper; Gothic ornamentation.

A few months after I captured this image, I had the pleasure of gazing down at the City from the observation deck of the tower at 100 McAllister St., a remarkable building that appears in a number of my Tenderloin and South of Market photographs. Built by the Methodist Church, it first opened as the luxury William Taylor Hotel in 1929; then in 1936 the building was sold and reopened as the Empire Hotel. While its status as the tallest hotel west of the Mississippi was short-lived, at a height of 28 stories it remained by far the tallest building in the Tenderloin until the encroachment of the 493 foot Hilton San Francisco Tower I in 1971. The purchase of the McAllister tower in 1981 by Hastings Law School ensures that this neighborhood landmark, still undergoing long-term and very expensive restoration, will be well cared for long into the future.

Reverend William Taylor,
from the frontispiece of his book
Seven Years' Street Preaching
in San Francisco, California

David Seward, CFO for U.C. Hastings, kindly took me on a personal tour of the tower, including a visit to the spot which I had long coveted, but which is accessible to just a handful of people – the very top of the building, where I was able to walk around in the open air, 27 stories above the street, with the Tenderloin, Civic Center and South of Market spread out before me! Our time was limited, so I was able to take only a few photographs. If you examine them closely, you can see where some of the buildings in this blog are located. Here are some views from 27 stories up:

Downtown


Nob Hill


Boundary Lines


Hive


Intersect


Turk & Jones


Grant Building


For Sale

Hibernia Dome

^{HIBERNIA BANK - #1 JONES STREET}

1892. Architect: Albert Pissis

A closeup of the Hibernia's beautiful dome, photographed one morning in springtime. In the background is the Renoir Hotel.

Battambang

^{MANILA TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS - 335 EDDY ST.}

(formerly Estelle Apartments). c.1916. Designer unknown. 3 stories, stucco & galvanized iron facade, base altered.

The two most compelling features of this building are its signs, both new and old. The Cambodian calligraphy of the Battambang Market and the antique, shield-shaped sign offer an interesting juxtaposition of cultures and times.

Herald

^{HERALD HOTEL - 308 EDDY ST.}

1910. Architect: Alfred Henry Jacobs. 7 stories, brick & terra cotta facade, base partly restored.

Now that it has been restored, the Herald is one of the most glamorous buildings in the Tenderloin.

Musicians Union

^{MUSICIAN'S UNION - 230 JONES ST.}

1924. Architect: Sylvain Schnaittacher. 3 stories, brick & terra cotta facade, arcaded piano nobile.

Designed by the man who was then president of the local A.I.A., the Musician's Union Hall is now occupied by the San Francisco Rescue Mission. During the 1970's, there were still clubs in the Tenderloin where live music was played every night. I was a regular at one of those clubs, on Mason St. near Eddy, though I have forgotten its name. It was actually just a little hole-in-the-wall bar that had an old upright piano, but every night it featured the incredible jazz improvisations of a wizened and frail-looking pianist who was, I learned, one of the founders of the San Francisco Musician's Union.

William Penn

^{WILLIAM PENN HOTEL - 160 EDDY ST.}

(formerly Hotel Cecil; later Hotel Kern). 1906. Architect: Albert Pissis. 4 stories, brick, arched entry, quoined windows, new door.

The architect of the famous Hibernia Bank Building at 1 Jones St. also designed the William Penn, which was constructed soon after the earthquake and fire of 1906. Next to the William Penn, looking eastward, are the Empress, Crystal and Bijou hotels, with the Parc Renaissance Hotel looming in the background.

Detail, showing fire escape
and arched entry.

Union

^{HOTEL UNION - 811 GEARY ST.}

(formerly Rhodema Hotel, later San Carlos Hotel). 1925. Architects: Smith & Glass. 6 stories, painted brick facade, marquee.

From 1969 to 1977, science fiction, fantasy and horror writer Fritz Leiber lived at the Union Hotel, in Room 507. My introduction to Fritz Leiber's writing was The Mind Spider & Other Stories, a paperback collection of his short horror stories that I bought in 1962. I was twelve years old and had a voracious appetite for horror, which I fed with a steady stream of thirty-five cent paperbacks. By the time I finished reading The Mind Spider, I was a devotee of Fritz Leiber. Fortunately for me, Leiber was a prolific writer and I continued to buy his books until the mid-'80s, making most of my purchases at City Lights Books after moving to San Francisco in 1968. One of the first books by Leiber that I bought from City Lights was Our Lady of Darkness, which takes place in San Francisco. The story's protagonist, a literary simulacrum of Leiber, lives in a hotel at 811 Geary Street. Such a thrill it was to read this story, one of his best, replete with descriptions of places and landmarks that were just beginning to feel familiar to me. God, I loved living here! I still do.

Night Monsters © 1969, Panther Books

Windeler

^{WINDELER APARTMENTS - 424 ELLIS ST}

1915. Architect: August Nordin. 6 stories, brick & painted terracotta facade, fine brickwork and terracotta trim, aluminum sash.

Though somewhat austere when compared to his other buildings, the Windeler nevertheless bears the unmistakable imprimatur of its designer, August Nordin; namely, the unique "wedding cake" cornice, string course and ornamentation. For further enlightenment, please refer to Rainy Day Sunset.

Jones Hotel

^{JONES HOTEL - 515 JONES ST.}

(formerly Hotel Bruce, later Newport Hotel). 1913. Architect: Joseph Cahen. 3 stories, galvanized iron facade.

Tucked behind the Coast Hotel and across the street from the Pacific Bay Inn is the Jones Hotel; a charming, little doll house with French windows and beautiful green and black glazed tile around the entrance.