• 1911 Sacramento St. house
• 1913 Sacramento St. house
• 1915 Sacramento St. house
• 1919 Sacramento St. house
• 1921 Sacramento St. house
• 228 Filbert St. house
• St. Patrick's Church
• 16 Napier Ln. house
• 2460 Union St. house
• 2231 Pine St. house
• Abbreviations

A widely varied group, ranging from Italianate to early Classic Revival, in an area otherwise largely consisting of apartment buildings (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 87).

Another enclave barely removed from Van Ness Avenue's commercialism is on Sacramento Street between Franklin and Gough: 1911, 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1921 Sacramento Street are all related in style. The most recent 1919 Sacramento, with its small dormers, Palladian first-floor window, and columned portico at the front entrance, is Colonial Revival in style and was built in 1895. The other four were built in the late 1860's or 1870's. All the latter are basically two-story Italianate designs. The pointed-arched Gothic windows and pedimented Italianate windows which contribute so markedly to the charm of these town houses have been well-preserved. The three houses have been painted in dramatic complementary colors (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 39).

A widely varied group, ranging from Italianate to early Classic Revival, in an area otherwise largely consisting of apartment buildings (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 87).

Another enclave barely removed from Van Ness Avenue's commercialism is on Sacramento Street between Franklin and Gough: 1911, 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1921 Sacramento Street are all related in style. The most recent 1919 Sacramento, with its small dormers, Palladian first-floor window, and columned portico at the front entrance, is Colonial Revival in style and was built in 1895. The other four were built in the late 1860's or 1870's. All the latter are basically two-story Italianate designs. The pointed-arched Gothic windows and pedimented Italianate windows which contribute so markedly to the charm of these town houses have been well-preserved. The three houses have been painted in dramatic complementary colors (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 39).

A widely varied group, ranging from Italianate to early Classic Revival, in an area otherwise largely consisting of apartment buildings (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 87).

Another enclave barely removed from Van Ness Avenue's commercialism is on Sacramento Street between Franklin and Gough: 1911, 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1921 Sacramento Street are all related in style. The most recent 1919 Sacramento, with its small dormers, Palladian first-floor window, and columned portico at the front entrance, is Colonial Revival in style and was built in 1895. The other four were built in the late 1860's or 1870's. All the latter are basically two-story Italianate designs. The pointed-arched Gothic windows and pedimented Italianate windows which contribute so markedly to the charm of these town houses have been well-preserved. The three houses have been painted in dramatic complementary colors (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 39).

A widely varied group, ranging from Italianate to early Classic Revival, in an area otherwise largely consisting of apartment buildings (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 87).

Another enclave barely removed from Van Ness Avenue's commercialism is on Sacramento Street between Franklin and Gough: 1911, 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1921 Sacramento Street are all related in style. The most recent, 1919 Sacramento, with its small dormers, Palladian first-floor window, and columned portico at the front entrance, is Colonial Revival in style and was built in 1895. The other four were built in the late 1860's or 1870's. All the latter are basically two-story Italianate designs. The pointed arched Gothic windows and pedimented Italianate windows which contribute so markedly to the charm of these town houses have been well-preserved. The three houses have been painted in dramatic complementary colors (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 39).

A widely varied group, ranging from Italianate to early Classic Revival, in an area otherwise largely consisting of apartment buildings (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 87).

Another enclave barely removed from Van Ness Avenue's commercialism is on Sacramento Street between Franklin and Gough: 1911, 1913, 1915, 1919, and 1921 Sacramento Street are all related in style. The most recent, 1919 Sacramento, with its small dormers, Palladian first-floor window, and columned portico at the front entrance, is Colonial Revival in style and was built in 1895. The other four were built in the late 1860's or 1870's. All the latter are basically two-story Italianate designs. The pointed arched Gothic windows and pedimented Italianate windows which contribute so markedly to the charm of these town houses have been well-preserved. The three houses have been painted in dramatic complementary colors (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 39).

A cluster of houses from the 1860s and 1870s is at 228 and 224 Filbert and across the way on the two pedestrian lanes, Darrell Place and Napier Lane. As of this writing the dates of the Napier Lane houses are: No. 10, 1875; No. 15, 1884; No. 16, 1872; No. 21, 1885; No. 22, 1876, and No. 32-34, 1890 but remodeled (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 51).

Old Telegraph Hill is preserved most completely in the Filbert Street Steps and Napier Lane. On the Filbert Steps, the most eye-catching house is the one at 228 Filbert Street. Built around 1873, this house is an expression of a rather simple "Carpenter Gothic" style, with bargeboard, finials, and Gothic arches reduced to straight lines over the windows (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 63).

The handsome brick facade survived the earthquake; the interior that went with it, alas did not (Gebhard, Winter and Sandweiss 1985: 80).

San Francisco's Catholics built a second St. Patrick's Church near Third and Mission to serve what eventually became the largest Irish parish in the United States. Although severely damaged in 1906, the building's sturdy brick walls still stand to serve today's congregation, and the interior is a Gothic marvel (Alexander and Heig 2002: 64)

Fronting on Mission, with its back pushed up almost to the front of the Jessie Street Substation, is another brick structure of merit, St. Patrick's Church, 756 Mission Street. St. Patrick's was dedicated in 1872 as successor to an earlier St. Patrick's that occupied the site of the Palace Hotel. The tower and walls survived the fire of 1906, with the result that this good example of Victorian Gothic architecture still presents much the same appearance it did in the San Francisco of the mid-nineteenth century (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 93).

A cluster of houses from the 1860s and 1870s is at 228 and 224 Filbert and across the way on the two pedestrian lanes, Darrell Place and Napier Lane. As of this writing the dates of the Napier Lane houses are: No. 10, 1875; No. 15, 1884; No. 16, 1872; No. 21, 1885; No. 22, 1876, and No. 32-34, 1890 but remodeled (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 51).

Running north from the Filbert Steps, Napier Lane is one of the most enchanting little streets in San Francisco. The houses in the lane date from about 1875 to 1890. The lane provides a good architectural insight into the appearance of old telegraph Hill, although now colorful flowers and plants have been added.

The oldest house (1875) in the lane would appear to be 10 Napier Lane, a very simple Italianate structure similar to 293 Union Street (1860s). Other houses which should be noted along this charming boardwalk are 15 (1884), 16 (1872), 21 (1885), 22 (1876), and 32-34 (1890, and considerably remodeled). (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 63-65).

An Italianate house updated with a Mansard roof to produce an odd piece of eclecticism (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 80).

Another early Union Street residence, 2460 Union Street, was probably built about 1872. It formerly stood on a knoll in the center of the lot, then the middle third of the square block, with access from both Union and Filbert Streets.

In the 1890's, the property was owned by Henry Wadsworth and George F. Bowman. Later, when it was subdivided, Mr. Bowman acquired the house and moved it to the Union Street side of the lot.

A Mansard roof particularly distinguishes this house and relates it to similar houses of the later 1870's. Double arched-windows in the upper center and double-arched doors below suggest work of the 1860's. The bracketed gambrel roof section over the center of the house is unusual before the 1890's, but may here be interpreted as an 1870's variant of the steep gables on Victorian Gothic houses.

The deep back garden with its many old and lovely trees has a brown shingled cottage, formerly the servants' quarters and kitchen, from which meals were sent to the main house via a cook's lift through a covered passageway (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 18-19).

The New England farmhouse look suggests an earlier date than 1872, but the owners may just have wanted a simple house (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 110).

This truly simple clapboard house could have easily been built prior to 1872. It has the horizontal fins along the gable and corner boards associated with Greek Revival (Olmsted and Watkins 1969: 287).

Abbreviations