United States Old Mint • Historic Structure Report
5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco, California
prepared for The City of San Francisco
prepared by Architectural Resources Group San Francisco, California
26 June 2002 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 1 II. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ...... 3 III. METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH MATERIALS ...... 5 IV. PREVIOUS STUDIES AND DOCUMENTATION ...... 7 V. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXTS ...... 9 VI. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ...... 25 VII. CHRONOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT AND USE ...... 44 VIII. CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES AND SIGNIFICANCE RATINGS ...... 53 IX. PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE ...... 63 X. EVALUATION OF BUILDING INTEGRITY ...... 64 XI. CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 67 XII. FUTURE BUILDING USES AND DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES ...... 82 XIII. BUILDING CODE ISSUES ...... 89 XIV. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 94 XV. ENDNOTES ...... 99
Appendices
Appendix A. Historical Photographs in Chronological Order. (Figures 1-44). Appendix B. Photographs of Existing Conditions, 2002. (Figures 45-122). Appendix C. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Appendix D. Historical Drawings in Chronological Order. Appendix E. Existing Conditions Drawings by Beverly Prior Architects, 2002. Appendix F. Historic American Building Survey (HABS) Drawings (1962). Appendix G. Old Mint Historical Drawing Inventory compiled by ARG, 2002. Appendix H. Old Mint Historical Room Uses Table compiled by ARG, 2002. Appendix I. National Historic Landmark Nomination (1961), National Register Nomination (1988). Appendix J. Original Specifications for Wrought and Cast Iron Work for U.S. Branch Mint.
Figure Numbers noted in text, i.e. (Figure 22, 23), refer to photographs in Appendices A and B.
United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group
PROJECT TEAM
Client City of San Francisco Office of the City Architect 1 Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, California 94102 Yomi Agunbiade, Acting Director
Principal Preparers Architectural Resources Group Pier 9, The Embarcadero San Francisco, California 94111 Bruce D. Judd, FAIA, Project Principal Stephen J. Farneth, FAIA, Associate Project Principal David Wessel, AIC, Principal Conservator Bridget Maley, Project Manager Deborah J. Cooper, AIA, Architect Katherine T. Petrin, Architectural Historian Evan Kopelson, Conservator Jody Stock, Architectural Historian
Architectural Drawings Beverly Prior Architects 375 Fremont Street, Suite 300 San Francisco, California 94105 Beverly Prior, Project Principal Mike Hauser, Project Captain
Acknowledgments Yomi Agunbiade, Acting Director, Office of the City Architect Rebecca Benassini, Administrative Analyst, Office of the City Architect Warren Sitterley, Property Manager, General Services Administration, San Francisco, California Alfonso Mendez, Real Estate Specialist, General Services Administration, San Francisco, California John Hedger, Archivist, National Archives and Records Administration, San Bruno, California
United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Architectural Resources Group (ARG) was retained by the City of San Francisco to produce a Historic Structure Report (HSR), for the United States Old Mint located in downtown San Francisco at the northwest corner of 5th and Mission Streets. The Historic Structure Report contains essential information on the history of the building, an assessment of existing conditions, a discussion of significance, and evaluations of proposals with regard to future adaptive use of the building. The Old Mint is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, the highest level of federal designation. Due to the high level of integrity of the Old Mint, consideration of the implications for future use is critical.
The historical overview presents information from the earliest newspaper accounts through the 1960s when demolition of the building was a real threat, made clear by contemporary accounts. The significance sections convey the extraordinary qualities and aspects of the Old Mint design and construction, especially the use of granite on the exterior and interior, sandstone facing and detailing, ornamental and utilitarian cast iron elements, and metal lining for vaults. A specific, rated list of character-defining features and other elements is presented.
The HSR benefits from drawings of existing conditions prepared by Beverly Prior Architects. Remarkably, the comparison of an original 1874 floor plan with the existing conditions plans indicates that the building has changed very little, especially with regard to circulation and primary room configurations. The building has not incurred any exterior additions, but changes over time which have been constant. Many significant spaces have acquired non-contributing individual elements. Conversely, within altered and modified spaces there remain elements of historic importance. This is especially true at the north, south, and west wings of the first and second floors where former work and industrial spaces were converted to office use, and in some instances modern materials cover historic fabric.
Whereas greater amounts of new, modern materials have been installed over historic fabric in the western or rear half of the building and restorative treatments have occurred in the eastern or front half, the Old Mint should not be viewed as having a “historic” half and a “non-historic” half. In fact, many historic elements of varying levels of significance, resulting from varying types of intervention, are found throughout all spaces of the building. Given the regular program of maintenance works, ongoing modifications, and rehabilitation campaigns throughout the life of the building, it is surprising that such a large amount of intact original historic fabric remains at the Old Mint.
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The final sections discuss future uses and code issues. Together with discussions on the best opportunities for the building, these sections outline a philosophy for proposed work, which should be carried out in accordance with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (The Standards), and as stipulated by the Programmatic Agreement between the General Services Administration (GSA), the City of San Francisco, and other parties. Because the Old Mint is currently defined by varying types and sizes of spaces, each treated differently, a range of new functions would work best. Housing a combination of museum, office, event, or retail/restaurant space seems to be an ideal scenario for adaptive use of the building. This approach would allow for the uses that are most complimentary for the varied building spaces. As part of a future project at the Old Mint, deficiencies in life safety, structural systems, and accessibility must be upgraded to meet the current requirements of the Uniform Building Code, or the California Historical Building Code (CHBC), a “performance-based” code, requiring the same level of safety, but permitting the applicant to identify different options to achieve safety and minimize the removal of historic fabric, furthering the preservation of building’s integrity.
The information presented herein provides the basis for evaluating future alterations to the Old Mint and will aid in the rehabilitation of this significant structure. This report expands upon the desire to improve the conditions at the Old Mint, focusing on the building, its site and its history.
The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed nearly every building in the vicinity of the Old Mint. As the only financial institution in the City able to open in the wake of the disaster, the Mint stimulated the City’s recovery and saved the City from total economic chaos in the days following the earthquake.
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II. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Designed by Alfred B. Mullett, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department, the second United States Mint in San Francisco, California, now known as the Old Mint, occupies its own city block bounded by 5th, Mission, Mint, and Jessie Streets. Completed in 1874 at a cost of $2 million, this classically inspired building is often cited as “the last major example of classical revival architecture” built in America.1
From the outset the Mint served the diverse functions of foundry, fortress, and highly ornamented interior spaces worthy of ceremonial public use. The public was admitted to certain rooms on the first floor: the Office of the Mint, later the Cashier’s Office (Room 121), and the Office of the Assistant Treasurer (Room 122). Suited to a federal building of this stature, these spaces were very well-appointed, nearly deluxe. Decorative cast iron and early gold-toned paint schemes were entirely appropriate choices for a facility in the business of metals. By contrast, as an industrial and manufacturing facility, the building required solid foundations and durable surfaces to withstand high temperatures and molten metal. On the exterior, the chimneys clearly express the industrial nature of the Mint and contrast to the building’s elegant temple front portico. Though a highly trafficked building, by both numerous employees and citizens, the structure stored gold and silver, requiring stringent security measures and design. The building’s impressive granite and masonry construction, and extensive use of cast iron as a building material, gave the impression of a secure stronghold.
Architecturally, the structure itself is significant for three reasons. Designed by a recognized master architect, the Old Mint serves as a rare monumental example of the late Greek Revival period. The original construction epitomizes late 19th century “fire-proof” building technologies, construction techniques, and noteworthy craftsmanship. And, finally, it is an excellent example of an innovative use of materials, especially ornamental and structural cast and wrought iron.
Nationally significant for its role in government and economics, the Old Mint was pivotal in the financial history of the United States during a 63-year period, from 1874 until 1937. The second San Francisco Mint opened, not as a subsidiary to the Philadelphia Mint as originally planned, but rather independent of it, and soon became the most productive mint in the United States. By 1877, three years after its inauguration, it minted about $50 million of the total $83.9 million in gold and silver coins produced by the United States that year.2 As a repository for the United States’ gold reserve, the building was responsible for protecting the nation’s wealth and in 1934, the Mint stored one-third of the nation’s supply.
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On the local level, the Old Mint is significant as a heroic survivor of the 1906 earthquake, and as one of the oldest buildings in San Francisco, a stone structure from an era of wood-framed construction. Symbolically, the Mint has been a source of pride to San Franciscans, who from the start saw the monumental and elegant federal building as an affirmation that the City had come of age and the State of California, then only 25 years old, was truly part of the nation.
Designations The Old Mint was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1961. Approved by the Secretary of the Interior, an NHL designation is the highest level of recognition at the federal level for nationally significant historic places. In 1962, the Old Mint was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey, Identification No. CAL-160. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) is a program that documents important architectural, engineering, and industrial sites throughout the United States. A typical set of HABS documentation usually consists of measured drawings, large-format photographs, and written history, crucial to accomplish the mission of creating an archive of American architecture. The HABS Collections are archived at the Library of Congress. In addition, the building was listed in 1988 on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.
An early rendering of the second United States Mint in San Francisco depicts the building in its urban setting, then at the edge of the downtown. Though downtown San Francisco has grown up around the building, the structure still exemplifies Mullett’s design tenet that “all government buildings be isolated by wide streets or open spaces” as a measure of protection.
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III. METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH MATERIALS In the course of producing this Historic Structure Report, ARG completed field work to assess conditions and better understand the history and nature of the Old Mint. Individual Room Data Sheets, prepared by ARG and specific to this structure, aided in evaluating the historic fabric of each room in the building.
The historical research portion of the HSR benefits from abundant documentation, including numerous architectural drawings and historical photographs, contemporary newspaper accounts, and correspondence providing contextual information on the Old Mint. To date, building maintenance records have not been located. Many drawings were reviewed by ARG at the GSA Offices in San Francisco in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and at the Property Disposal Unit, in the Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue. ARG staff members examined and inventoried all drawings and copied selective sheets. The drawings held at the National Archives and Record Administration in Washington D.C. were made available through the GSA for analysis by ARG for the purposes of this HSR. A Drawing Inventory, Appendix G, was created to track drawing names, creators, and dates for the HSR building chronology. In general, the drawings reviewed are of good quality, provide substantial information, and should be utilized for future work at the Old Mint, especially in areas that have been affected by deterioration. ARG has reviewed primary and secondary research material in libraries and repositories of public record at the following institutions:
Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley Located books, manuscripts, photographs, and newspaper clippings relating to the general history of the Old Mint. Of particular interest is a copy of specifications for Wrought and Cast-Iron Work for the building, included at Appendix J.
Environmental Design Library, University of California, Berkeley Books and journals regarding the Old Mint were checked.
Society of California Pioneers Collection contains photographs (including original albumin prints from the late nineteenth century) and newspaper clippings that cover the Mint from 1880s to the present.
California Historical Society Library, San Francisco Examined files, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Photographs of the building under construction by noted photographer Eadweard Muybridge are included in this photographic collection.
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General Service Administration, Property Management Office, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Building, 7th and Mission Streets, San Francisco Numerous plans, elevations, and section drawings of the Old Mint were inventoried and some were copied.
General Service Administration, Property Disposal Division, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco Numerous plans, elevations, and section drawings of the Old Mint (from initial construction and subsequent work campaigns) were added to the inventory and some were copied for analysis.
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) On-line Archive The HABS on-line archive includes numerous photographs of the Old Mint and measured drawings completed in 1962.
Moulin Studios, 526 2nd Street, San Francisco, California Studio holds two photographs of the exterior of the Old Mint c. 1925.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), San Bruno, California Holdings include Record Group 104, U.S. Mint, San Francisco Branch. Among other items, the collection includes an accounts payable ledger, inventory of furniture and fixtures, series of interior photographs from 1935-1938, project files relating to the 1973 restoration, and project files regarding the removal of the courtyard vault and construction of the first floor courtyard.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, D.C. Electronic copies of 105 original drawings provided to ARG via the GSA on hard drive.
National Park Service, Oakland, California National Park Service (NPS) files contain recent consultants’ reports, clippings files, and general historical background information.
San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center, San Francisco, California Various books and building files relating to the history of the Old Mint were consulted. Historical photographs included in the on-line San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection were viewed. Historical newspapers and journals were consulted with the aid of the California Information Index.
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IV. PREVIOUS STUDIES AND DOCUMENTATION As part of this Historic Structure Report (HSR), ARG was asked to review and critically assess the following previously produced reports on the Old Mint: