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