SEC. 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
The Board of Supervisors hereby finds that the area known and described in this ordinance as the Market Street Masonry Historic District contains a number of structures having a special
character and special historical, architectural and aesthetic interest and value, and constitutes a distinct section of the City. The Board of Supervisors further finds that designation of said
area as a Historic District will be in furtherance of and in conformance with the purposes of Article 10 of the Planning Code and the standards set forth therein, and that preservation on an
area basis rather than on the basis of individual structures alone is in order.
This ordinance is intended to further the general purpose of historic preservation legislation as set forth in Section 1001 of the Planning Code, to promote the health, safety and general
welfare of the public.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
Pursuant to Section 1004 of the Planning Code, the Market Street Masonry Historic District is hereby designated as a Historic District, this designation having been duly recommended
for approval by Resolution No. 690 of the Historic Preservation Commission and comments transmitted by the Planning Commission by Resolution No. 18707, which Resolutions are on
file with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors under File No. 121004 and which Resolutions are incorporated herein and made part hereof as though fully set forth.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 3. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES.
The location and boundaries of the Market Street Masonry Historic District include the following eight (8) buildings and Assessor Parcel Numbers: 150 Franklin Street (Block and Lot
No. 0834/012); 20 Franklin Street, aka 1580-1598 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 0836/010); 1649-1651 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 3504/001); 1657 Market Street (Block and Lot
No. 3504/046); 1666-1668 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 0854/004); 1670-1680 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 0854/005); 1687 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 3504/040); and
1693-1695 Market Street (Block and Lot No. 3504/038); and shall be as designated on the Market Street Masonry Historic District Map, the original of which is on file with the Clerk of the
Board of Supervisors in File No. 121004, which Map is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 4. RELATION TO PLANNING CODE AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO.
(a) Article 10 of the Planning Code is the basic law governing historic preservation in the City and County of San Francisco. This ordinance, being a specific application of Article 10, is
both subject to and in addition to the provisions thereof.
(b) Except as may be specifically provided to the contrary in this ordinance, nothing in this ordinance shall supersede, impair or modify any Planning Code provisions applicable to
property in the Market Street Masonry Historic District, including but not limited to existing and future regulations controlling uses, height, bulk, lot coverage, floor area ratio, required
open space, off-street parking and signs.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.
Eight architecturally significant buildings located between Franklin and Valencia Streets comprise the Market Street Masonry Historic District. Highly regarded master architects such as
August Nordin, G. Albert Lansburgh, Conrad A. Meussdorffer, and George Applegarth worked in the popular revival styles of the early 20th-century such as Classical Revival, Colonial
Revival, and Venetian Gothic Revival.
The architects utilized a formal three-part arrangement consisting of a base (often with a commercial storefront), main portion or column (often with residential floors), and decorative top
with either a projecting cornice or decorative parapet. All buildings comprising this non-contiguous historic district are three to six stories tall and are fully built out, covering their entire lot.
Most are mixed-use with commercial ground floor uses and residential above.
Built between 1911 and 1925, following the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, and responding to new building codes, they influenced the visual transition of San Francisco from a city of wood
and brick, to one of brick veneer, concrete, and stucco. Projecting bay windows – a long-standing feature in San Francisco – visually reinforce the vertical emphasis, while increasing the
light and air into the interior of many of the buildings. The buildings are executed in earthquake and fire-resistant materials with steel frames, reinforced concrete, brick, and galvanized
metal ornament.
While each building is unique, they relate to each other as a group because of the period in which they were constructed, their high-style design, and fire-proof masonry construction. All
of the buildings are well-preserved examples and retain character-defining features, such as elaborate metal cornices, pattern brickwork, historic storefronts with glass transom lights,
bronze plate glass window frames and decorative bases.
Additional historic information may be found in the Market Street Masonry Historic District Designation Report, which is hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth. This
document is on file at the Planning Department under Case No. 2011.0705L.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 6. SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS TO THE LANDMARK DISTRICT.
A district is usually a single geographic area of contiguous historic properties; however, a district may also be composed of multiple definable significant resources separated by non-
significant areas. The Market Street Masonry discontiguous district is composed of eight buildings on four blocks that are spatially discrete. The space between the buildings is not related
to the significance of the district. While all buildings can be seen from the intersection of Market and Franklin Streets, the visual continuity is not a factor in the significance. Each of the
eight discontiguous buildings are contributory to the Market Street Masonry Historic District.
An architectural description, building history and evaluation of each parcel within the Historic District is documented in the Market Street Masonry Historic District Designation Report
and are hereby incorporated herein as though fully set forth. It is important to note that street address numbers are subject to change, and that the most reliable, official method for
identifying a property within the Landmark District is to refer to it by its assigned Assessor Block and Lot number.
(Added by Ord. 64-13, File No. 121004, App. 4/17/2013, Eff. 5/17/2013)
SEC. 7. FEATURES OF THE DISTRICT AND EXISTING BUILDINGS.
The character-defining features of the Market Street Masonry Historic District include all exterior elevations, including rooflines, of each of the eight buildings. The following section
describes in further detail character-defining features of the District and of individual buildings contained therein. Historic District designation is intended to protect and preserve these
character-defining features.
(a) Overall Form, Continuity, Scale and Proportion. All buildings are built to the property lines, rise vertically without setbacks, and have flat roofs. Building height is within a three-
to-six story range, with one building at three stories, one at four, four at five stories, and two at six stories in height. All buildings in the district retain their historic integrity. The buildings
are consistent in height, bulk, scale and proportion.
(b) Fenestration. Existing fenestration consists of predominantly double-hung, wood sash windows that are vertical in orientation; however, industrial steel sash is found, as are awning
and casement sash. Buildings feature a symmetrical and regular pattern of windows with consistent dimensions along primary facades. Aside from some ground floor commercial
storefronts, the size and shape of window openings have not been altered over time. Replacement window sash that were added to buildings after the period of significance have not gained
significance in their own right.
(c) Materials and Finishes. Unpainted brick is the predominant cladding material found in five of the eight buildings in the district; however, painted stucco on concrete is found on
three buildings in the district. Galvanized sheet iron is used extensively for decorative features and the cladding of projecting bay windows.
(d) Architectural Details. There are no character-defining interior features or spaces included in this designation. The character-defining exterior features of the buildings are:
(1) 150 Franklin Street. The significant historical and architectural features of 150 Franklin Street are: five-story height and rectangular massing; scored concrete cladding on the
raised basement and brick cladding on the upper stories; recessed main entrance with a concrete, segmental arch surround, marble steps, and glazed wood door with sidelights and transom;
glass and metal framed curved marquise; fenestration pattern of recessed, semi-hexagonal bays, with double-hung wood sash windows set within galvanized metal surrounds that extend the
full height of the building; Classical Revival decorative details, including a basement story separated from the upper stories by a band of Greek key ornament, metal architrave with beveled
shield ornaments between the bays, a frieze with brick Flemish diagonal bond ornament, and a deeply projecting metal cornice with dentils, egg and dart molding, drop finials on the soffit,
galvanized metal spandrel panels, and geometric fascia ornament with plaques set between the bays on the cornice fascia; and flat root as well as:
• All exterior elevations, architectural details, motifs and rooflines;
• Rectangular massing;
• Projecting metal and glass marquise above the main entry on Franklin Street;