• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Michael
• U.S. Customs House
• Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
• Abbreviations

With its lively twin-towered facade approached by a double-branching stair and flanked by palm trees, this is another oasis; it proves that the cultural institutions of strong ethnic groups can endure even when their residential context disappears (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 152).

Although most of the post-fire buildings downtown used stone sparingly, usually in combination with less expensive terra cotta, the federal government built for the ages, as in this Customs House building. Handsome decorative detail using patriotic symbols of authority enriches the exterior. The interior has generous public spaces, a handsome stairway and other fine details (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 46).

There were pockets of buildings that survived [the 1906 earthquake and fire]: around Jackson Street between Montgomery and Sansome, in the warehouse district at the foot of Telegraph Hill, and on top of Russian and Telegraph Hills. Among the notable buildings that remained were the U.S. Customs House on Battery, the Montgomery Block, the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, the U.S. Mint at Fifth and Mission, and the new U.S. post office and courthouse at Seventh and Mission (Wiley 2000: 60).

At the [Transamerica] pyramid, turn right on Clay Street, then left on Battery, and walk to Washington to find the former U.S. Custom House (68), another relic from the days when San Francisco was a bustling port. The building was planned by Eames and Young, St. Louis architects for other federal buildings. Construction started right after the 1906 earthquake but, because of labor shortages, was not completed until 1911. The building's foundation sits on the timbers of a gold rush period steamship that was tied up to a wharf at the same location. The squat granite structure is typically Renaissance style in its detailing, with an elaboate lobby and stairways in black and white marble (Wiley 2000: 172).

Once the parish church for the city's Latin quarter, this lovely landmark still evokes the Mediterranean world (Woodbridge and Woodbridge 1992: 66).

Start at Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (1) by Shea and Lofquist, on Broadway just west of the intersection with Mason. Although the name evokes the Hispanic miners who camped near here during the gold rush, the church dates from 1906 (rebuilt in 1912) and is thought to be the first reinforced concrete church built in the city (Wiley 2000: 256).

Abbreviations