United States Old • Historic Structure Report

5th & Mission Streets, , 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. .

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 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 -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 opened, not as a subsidiary to the 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 (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:

Fields & Devereaux Architects, AIA. Historic Building Preservation Plan: The Old Mint. July 1995.

Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc. Final Report on Seismic Upgrade Comparison Study for Old Mint Building, San Francisco, California. 1993.

Page & Turnbull, Inc. Architects. Old Mint Accessibility Study. San Francisco, California. 2 March 1993.

Sierra Consultants. Report of Fire Safety Conditions, Old Mint. San Francisco, California. 1993.

The Fields & Devereaux Historic Building Preservation Plan (HBPP) completed in July 1995, provided very relevant and direct information to the ARG HSR. The HBPP is a uniform template developed by the GSA to aid in the stewardship of that agency’s historic buildings. The template is meant to be utilized by consultants to compile a comprehensive report comprised of the three separate sections that: 1) identify features by on-site investigation and use background materials; 2) divide the building into zones of varying importance; and, 3) evaluate individual architectural features within each established zone.

Using the GSA-defined Zones 1-6, Fields and Devereaux identified the separate applicable zones for each floor and exterior elevations, including both street-facing and courtyard facades. The Fields & Devereaux study was completed after limited field analysis totaling 28 on-site hours between two professionals and relied heavily upon a collection of historical drawings.3 The one apparent deficiency in the GSA-designed HBPP is that the ratings in some cases reflect potential code-related issues. In California, many of these issues can be resolved by invoking the California Historical Building Code (CHBC), as discussed in Section XIII of this report.

The ARG effort benefited from extensive field investigation of the building to determine conditions and proposed treatments. The HBPP provided guidance to ARG during fieldwork in the building. The current ARG effort utilizes a different methodology for evaluating significant spaces and features (See Section VIII) that groups areas of the building interior based on shared character- defining features and considers levels of past intervention in rating the elements in these spaces. Exterior features are identified for each street-facing elevation and for the entire courtyard. Generally, the recommendations resulting from these two systems are highly compatible in their scope. However, the ARG recommendations are generally based on The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards (See Section XIII and Appendix C). The Fields & Devereaux

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recommendations tend to be rehabilitative and restorative in nature. Some recommendations are no longer relevant. For example, one recommendation calls for the retention of museum displays and items that have been subsequently removed from the Old Mint.

For a summary and discussion of the Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc. study, the Page & Turnbull report, and the Sierra Consultants assessment see Section XIII.

In this historical view of Room 122, the Office of the Assistant Treasurer and Cashier, note that all architectural details, fluted pilasters, window casings and cornice, are executed in cast iron. Original vault door at far right is in the open position.

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V. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXTS

Developmental History and Context Early History Congress first authorized a San Francisco Mint in 1852, as a subsidiary of the Philadelphia Mint, to handle the increasing volume of gold-containing ore generated by the Gold Rush. In 1854, the first Mint and Assay Office, a small (60-foot x 60-foot) brick building on Commercial Street in San Francisco, opened and began converting miners' gold into coins, producing $4.08 million in gold pieces by December of that first year.4 (Figure 1, Appendix A). A huge amount of commerce was transacted in a business office which was accessed “up a steep pair of stairs and through a dark hall rendered unwholesome by the fumes of acids and uncomfortable by the noise of machinery and the heat of the engine.”5 Within the next decade, the amount of silver from Nevada mines began to strain the already limited capacity of the first Mint. As a result, the government made plans for a second U.S. Mint in San Francisco.

A New Site Acquisition of the new Mint site was finalized by 1867 at the unlikely location of 5th and Mission Streets when the neighborhood was largely residential with a mix of housing, schools, and hotels. The Lincoln School was located at the northeast corner of 5th and Mission, now the Pickwick Hotel. The site was chosen for the “necessity of obtaining a firm foundation was [known] to be found in [the] locality.”6 The structure would require a firm site to support the massive bed of granite below the masonry structure. The local newspaper also reported:

[Report] recommending the purchase of the 50-vara lot corner of Mission and Fifth streets, belonging to Eugene Kelly, as a site for the new U.S. Branch Mint, has been accepted, and the question of location may now be considered settled. The price of the lot is understood to be $75,000 .the location selected is a long way from the center of business in the city at the present time, but the selection is made with a view to the future growth of the town.7

Design of San Francisco’s Second U.S. Mint, Antecedents, and Contemporary Influences Designs for a second U.S. Mint were then well underway, initial concepts having been developed as early as 1865 by Alfred B. Mullett, then Assistant Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department in Washington D.C. These were Mullett’s earliest designs for a new federal building and were developed during an 1865 trip to the west coast, just prior to his official appointment as Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department in 1866.8 Mullett’s early unbuilt design depicts a three-story structure, similar to the extant building, except the proposed basement is much less prominent, and the details are neo-classical with Corinthian columns and a balustraded parapet.9 (See Appendix D). This early design is similar to Mullett’s U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Maine.

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(Figure 4, Appendix A). The precedent for a classically inspired federal building existed in San Francisco based on Gridley Bryant’s U.S. Custom House and Post Office of 1855. (Figure 2, Appendix A). The Custom House, on Battery Street between Washington and Jackson Streets, was another Greek Revival structure, the first example of the monumental federal office building on the west coast. Mullett’s final design for the second U.S. Mint in San Francisco recalls the Custom House and exemplifies the pared-down simplicity typical of the Greek Revival aesthetic. Incorporating the signature elements of the Greek Revival, the building has a Doric entablature highlighted by pediments over the front portico (also called a temple-front) and rear central pavilion. (Figure 3, Appendix A). Mullett’s only other classical revival building was designed contemporaneously, the afore-mentioned U.S. Courthouse and Post Office in Portland, Maine (1867-1873).10 (Figure 4, Appendix A). Both structures were built on a monumental scale, coupled with architectural elements of the classical idiom. Mullett’s San Francisco Mint is reminiscent of Robert ’s public buildings of the 1830s in Washington D.C., including the Patent Office (now the National Portrait Gallery) on F Street and the Treasury Building on the southwest corner of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Construction and Operation Construction lasted from 1869 until 1874 under the direction of the Washington D.C.-based Mullett and Construction Superintendent William P.C. Stebbins on site.11 (Figures 5-7, Appendix A). Around this time, several events of historical influence, affected the design and construction of the Mint: the San Francisco earthquakes of October 1865 and October 1868; the ; the Big Bonanza silver strike of 1873 near Carson City, Nevada; and, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which yielded advances in “fire-proof” technologies and building materials. The stature of the Mint rose as the ore mined in the west continued to be plentiful, and the production of gold and silver coins increased (paper currency was, and always has been, produced separately by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing).12

Thought to be unnecessarily large when it opened in 1874, the Mint was an immediate success economically and symbolically. (Figures 8, 9, Appendix A). Its director stated, “ in fitting it up with a refining and coining capacity equal to the present demand it has been found necessary to occupy the entire building.”13 In 1875, its first full calendar year, 1.3 million gold pieces valued at $24.7 million were coined.14 From the perspective of the citizens of San Francisco, the presence of a federal building as important as the Mint meant that the City had come of age and the State of California, then only 25 years old, was truly part of the nation.15

Accomplishments at the Mint continued apace with the coining of five dollar gold pieces, ten dollar eagles, and the double eagles. Production of gold and silver U.S. coins often exceeded any other

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mint in the country. Various foreign governments had their bullion coined at the San Francisco Mint, including Latin American countries, the Philippines, Japan, and China.16 These assignments made for extra work and a greater output apart from the normal production. As an example, during a one-year period between 1903 and 1904, the Mint coined between 25 and 30 million Filipino silver pesos, nearly the same diameter and thickness of the American silver dollar. One side of the Filipino peso was imprinted with the wording “United States of America ‘03” and included an eagle with fully spread wings resting on a banner. The other side depicted a Filipino woman with an anvil and volcano, and the wording “One Peso Filipinas.” 17

This image depicts the Corless Engine No. 1 which was designed and built for the Mint by H.J. Booth & Co. Located at the rear of the first floor, the polished engine was connected via pulley system and shafts to generating machinery on the ground floor before the building had electricity.

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Coin-Making Process and Room Uses Room use and functions related to the minting process are noted on floor plans of the Old Mint. (See Appendix E, Existing Conditions Drawings and Appendix H, Table of Historical Room Uses). Information related to the coin-making process is included to give a sense as to how certain rooms were used and to explain what type of heavy or light industry occurred in certain parts of the building. Historical photographs illustrate the rigors of the money-manufacturing process happening in rooms that today appear somewhat cleaner and sanitized than they must have been when the Mint was at the height of production. (Figures 23-27, 33, Appendix A).

Pure metals, accurately weighed and combined to produce alloys used in coinage, were melted in furnaces. The molten metal was cast into ingots (Gold Ingot Room, Room 129 and Silver Melting Room, or the Melter and Refiner Room, Room 135). The ingots were passed through rolling mills that reduce them to long strips of the exact thickness required for the denomination being produced (Rolling Room, Room 130). Clad coins, such as dimes, half dollars, and dollars, were made from strips composed of three layers of metal bonded together and rolled to the required thickness. The strips were fed into high-speed punch presses that cut planchets, or coin blanks, of proper diameter. Planchets were softened by annealing in a special type of furnace (Annealing Room, Room 146). These were then cleaned and dried. An edge-rolling machine "squeezed" the coin blanks to form the raised rim, or "upset" edge, found on finished coins. With a single stroke, the coining press stamped the designs of both obverse and reverse dies onto the blank (Press Room, Room 114) (Figures 20, 21, Appendix A). The early engines that powered machinery and systems were located in the Engine Room, Room 141 (Figure 22, Appendix A). Other original coin production room functions were: Coining Room (Room 140) (Figure 18, Appendix A); Whitening Room (Room 154); and, Counting Room (Room 118) (Figure 12, Appendix A).

An annotated original drawing indicates some of the early functions in the ground floor: Machine Shop (Room 14), Store Rooms (Rooms 1 and 3), Melting Room (Room 9), Carpenter’s Shop (Room 13), Storekeeper’s Room (Room 7), Blacksmith’s Shop (Room 10), Wood Shop (Room 17), Hardening Room (Room 18), Grinding Machine (Room 36), and Coal Stores (Rooms 21, 22, and 24).

For business transactions, the public accessed the first floor Rooms 121 and 122, the Office of the Mint and Office of the Assistant Treasurer, the grand spaces in the building. (Figures 14, 19, Appendix A). The Superintendent’s office was located in Room 109 adjacent to the Office of the Watchman. (Figures 13, 17, Appendix A). A guard presided over the entrance and vestibule. (Figure 15, Appendix A). Original uses include Room 213 as Assayers Office and Room 214, as

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the Adjusting Room. (Figure 16, Appendix A). From an early date the attic was utilized as workspace. (Figure 28, Appendix A).

Ground floor vaults were added subsequent to the original construction of the building. One of the earliest alterations, dating to 1882, is the installation of a metal-lined vault in Room 19. The construction technique, later replicated in Rooms 8 and 9, consists of the insertion of alternating layers of steel and iron plate over the masonry walls, ceiling, and floor. (Figure 72, Appendix B). Rooms 8, 9, and 10 were converted to vaults prior to 1914. Rooms 7, 22 and 26 were converted after 1914 and are brick, not metal-lined. (Figure 34, Appendix A). In Rooms 8 and 9, metal lining, manufactured by Jones and Laughlins, is inserted over the windows; curiously, the cast iron shutters, in the closed position, are visible from the exterior of the building. In Room 10, the window openings were bricked in with the cast iron shutters in place which are also visible from the exterior. Other vault doors are painted with embellishments and gilded designs with the names of the manufacturers, George L. Damon Company of Boston, the Hermann Safe Company of San Francisco, and the Halls Safe and Lock Company.

An Early Chapter of the Mint’s Labor History A depiction of early building users of the Old Mint is as telling about social conditions of the day as it is about how the structure was used and by whom it was occupied. A document entitled U.S. Treasury Register of 1875 provides the names of all employees at the San Francisco Mint in that year. Analysis of this roster gives specific details about the Mint’s labor force and reveals social conditions in San Francisco at the end of the 19th century.18

For each employee listed, information is given in each of the following categories: name, designation (position), place of birth, date of appointment, and compensation, per diem or per annum. The total number of employees from the superintendent to the janitor was 223. The employee register is broken down by department: General Department (58 employees), Assayer’s Department (21 employees), Melter and Refiner’s Department (42 employees), and Coiners Department (102 employees), giving an idea of the requirements of each function. The types of positions at the Mint were: superintendent, clerks, cashiers, bookkeeper, engineer, fireman, conductor, workman, laborer, porter, messenger, day and night watchmen, assayers, melters and refiners, coiners, weighers, foreman, pressman, machinist, adjuster, and janitor.

The home state of the vast majority of the Mint’s employees was New York, birthplace of the Superintendent, O.H. LaGrange. The states of the northeast—Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont—were well-represented, followed by Pennsylvania and Ohio. A few employees came from each of the states of Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and

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Mississippi. Many of the Mint employees were foreign-born, from the countries Ireland, Wales, France, Prussia, Germany. Of the total 223 employees, only 17 were born in California, indicating what a very young state it was at the time, and that the vast majority of the population had immigrated from other parts.

Studying the salaries gives a sense of the hierarchy of the employment force. Superintendent LaGrange was the highest paid employee receiving $4,500 per annum. The second highest paid employees were the chiefs of each department at $3,000 a year. Assistant to the Superintendent were the Chief Clerk, Bernard Lande, and the Cashier, Horace Beach, who were both paid $2,500 per annum.

Of the total 223 Mint employees, 46 were women, all employed in the Coiner’s Department as adjusters receiving a salary of $80 per month, or $960 a year.19 (Figures 10, 11, Appendix A). Another woman employed at the Mint was Anna S. Bellard, the janitor. Miss Bellard, from Louisiana, received the same salary of $80 per month, like the other women.

In the adjusting department, all gold blanks were weighed before they were stamped. It was the work of the female adjusters, to weigh the blanks, reject those that were light or defective, and adjust them by filing to an exact weight those that were too heavy. The operation was described as follows:

Each lady wears a long linen apron and linen oversleeves. They also have gloves to protect the hands when filing. The linen aprons, gloves and tables are brushed whenever a lady leaves her seat for the recesses which are several times a day.20

An account of a woman who worked at the Mint late in the 19th century reads as follows:

Mary Elizabeth’s position at the Mint was secure and responsible. She weighed and checked the weight of the gold coins. She worked eighteen years until the women in the mint were replaced by machines. She had three or four women under her and she worked for General Dagget. She was a very trustworthy employee and did not talk about her work. There were rigid examinations of the employees, entering and leaving, to prevent the stealing of the gold. The only story I remember, told many years after, was of a boy who mixed the gold dust with wax and stuffed it in his ears.21

While the earliest historical photographs of the Mint depict legions of women at work, females figure less prominently in later images. As the building and work processes became more mechanized, workplace photographs show only men. Twelve years after the Mint’s inauguration, in 1886, widespread changes were made including removals, transfers, promotions and appointments. An article in the San Francisco Call Bulletin explained the situation and depicted

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the employment changes as extensive and unexpected. The article names specific employees and concludes with this sentence, “No ladies whatever have been appointed and the officials at the Mint stated that they could say nothing about any proposed appointments among them.”22

Original Furnishings Among the document holdings at National Archives and Records Administration is a 1893 ledger entitled Furniture and Fixtures.23 The ledger is a comprehensive inventory listing all articles of furniture in the building, excluding machinery, on a room-by-room basis from the years 1874 to 1893. The cost of each item is listed along with comments about materials and conditions within a “Remarks” column for each piece. The first page explains:

Notice: Nearly all of the furniture and fixtures enumerated in this Statement was purchased by contracts, let by the Superintendent of Construction of Government Buildings in 1874. Said contracts are on file in the office of the Supervising Architect at Washington, D.C. Articles added since then were either made in the carpenter shop of this Mint by the carpenter regularly on the pay rolls, or purchased from time to time and paid for out of the Continent Fund of this Mint provided for such purposes.

Selected entries reveal some details about the day-to-day workings of the Mint at the end of the 19th century. Most of the important rooms on the first floor used for non-industrial purposes were furnished with mahogany desks, tables and sideboards, rugs, sofas, easy chairs, clocks, scales, and umbrella stands. In keeping with the primary function of the building, bullion trucks are recorded in the cashier’s room. Corresponding to historical photographs of the interior, the 6- and 12-globe chandeliers appear in the inventory; some of those currently present in the building are reproductions. Other items of the period are coal scuttles and letter press and stand. The Men’s Lunch Room was equipped with 6 tables, 19 stools and an ice box. The Adjusters Lunch Room was somewhat better outfitted with a “sett [sic] of tea utensils.” The contents of the corridor consisted of hose carriages with 100 feet of hose, and gardening implements, a lawn mower, and a rake for the garden. The ledger notes that a telephone closet on the first floor was “made in the Mint,” an indication of the building’s multi-faceted functions. The Mint’s security requirements are evident in the contents of the room of the Library and Captain of the Watch: 6 Winchester rifles, 12 Smith & Wesson revolvers, and a bedstead and bedding, among other more conventional furnishings.

The ledger does not give information about the original machinery. However, other accounts state that the coinage machinery was furnished by the firm of Morgan & Orr of Philadelphia. As stated above, the firm of H.J. Booth & Co. manufactured the motive power equipment. The contract for furniture making was awarded to J.B. Luchsinger & Son of San Francisco.24

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The Great Earthquake, 1906 The Mint survived the 1906 earthquake with minor damage. (Figures 29-32, Appendix A). The heroic efforts of Mint staff and U.S. Army soldiers, who tapped recently-installed wells in the building’s courtyard to hold off the fire for seven hours with hoses of one-inch in diameter, have been often chronicled. The fire destroyed nearly every surrounding building in the neighborhood. The gold reserves in the Mint’s vaults helped stimulate the City’s recovery and contributed to saving it from total economic chaos in the days following the earthquake. As the only institution able to remain open, the Mint became the temporary treasury for San Francisco’s relief funds, and was the only agency capable of receiving and disbursing the money necessary for the City’s recovery. While the Mint and its contents were saved, the destruction of the city gas works forced a halt to the Mint’s melting, annealing, and assaying operations fueled by gas.25

The Old Mint survived the earthquake and fire of 1906, but with damage, as seen in this view of the Jessie Street (north) elevation.

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Building Modifications and Use With the introduction of electricity to the Mint in 1914, a series of changes were made throughout the building. Since the windows along the perimeter of the courtyard, or lightcourt, were no longer required to provide natural light, the building gained more useable square footage by roofing over of the ground floor level to create a sweepers room and engine room at the base of the lightcourt. The original 6- and 12-armed chandeliers with glass globes and other gas light fixtures throughout were retained and converted to function by electricity. New exterior bracket sconces, a type produced between 1908 and 1920, were added after 1914. This type of exterior light fixture was only for electrical use, not designed for gas. (Figure 120, Appendix B).

By the 1930s, the Mint was determined to be inadequate for the growing commercial demands of the nation. (Figures 35-37, Appendix A). A larger Mint was authorized and a new facility, designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, opened in 1937. (Figure 44, Appendix A). Principal minting operations were transferred to the new Mint on Hermann Street, near Market and Duboce Streets, at which time the building at 5th and Mission was converted to use as an office building for federal agencies and became known to the public as the “Old Mint”. The building remained in use as offices under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Treasury Department, but changes were made. Modifications included the removal of minting equipment and conversion of certain spaces for other uses. Most of the new uses were compatible with the original. Chemical laboratories were added for use by the Bureau of Standards. Other federal government tenants included the Geodetic Survey, the Bureau of Mines, and the Civil Service Commission. The building retained the “shop” uses in the ground floor, such as carpentry.

In 1957, the Secretary of the Interior was notified by the GSA of their intention to declare the building surplus and that demolition was a likely outcome. (Figures 38-43, Appendix A). A review by the Secretary of the Interior resulted in a report dated 6 December 1956, giving the building a designation of national significance. A project was planned to restore the Old Mint as western regional headquarters for the National Park Service (NPS), including a small display area in the ground floor to contain minting machinery. City officials asked their congressional representatives to disregard the Secretary of the Interior’s designation in order that demolition proceed (at an estimated cost of $250,000), and to return the site to the City for private development as a parking lot or building site.26 San Francisco’s mayor George Christopher opposed use of the Mint as a museum and called for demolition, stating that it would be better for tax purposes to “utilize every available property to minimize the real estate tax burden of [the] citizens.”27 Eventually, the building was used for NPS offices and workshops, but the museum component was shelved.

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The Secretary of the Interior’s report led to more widespread recognition of the Old Mint as a structure of national significance, and in 1961 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The Old Mint was documented in 1962 by the Historic American Building Survey (HABS). At the same time the building began to exhibit the effects of time, weathering, and urban pollution. Concerns for public safety in a seismically active area resulted in the removal of deteriorating original stone cornices in 1965-66.

In 1968, the government officially designated the Old Mint a Declared Surplus Building, resurrecting talk of demolition. In 1969, the San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University) requested ownership of the structure for the construction of a new campus on the site of the Old Mint. Demolition cost of the Mint was then estimated to be between $4 and 5 million, roughly equivalent to refurbishment costs.28 A campaign was organized by Gordon B. Hunt, a numismatist, who wrote to California Senator George Murphy asking that he intercede with Secretary Robert Finch of Health Education and Welfare to preserve the building and turn it into an educational institution equal to the Smithsonian Institution. Other individuals, clubs, Chambers of Commerce, city and county officials, Senators, Congressmen, and governors nationwide were contacted to halt the Old Mint's destruction, generating approximately 20,000 pieces of correspondence and ultimately forcing a hearing on the matter of the Mint's usage, The Matter of Destruction vs. Preservation and its Use as a Museum, on 22 January 1970. The Health Education and Welfare (HEW) Commission's recommendation was for its preservation and utilization as Court Offices and Museum.29 However, memoranda from the GSA in Spring 1969 make clear just how close the Mint came to demolition:

I am attaching a list of items the Federal government should consider retaining from the Mint when it is pulled down: one or two of the safe doors from the ground level; chosen from those which still have reasonably intact lettering showing manufacturer and etched glass work over the mechanism; one or more of the marble fireplaces located in offices on the first and second floor of the building; hanging lighting fixtures in the main first floor corridor; wooden cases from the guard balcony in the main office on the first floor; any doorknobs which have raised crests or emblems centered on them.30

Another memo stated:

The Old Mint is to be transferred by PMDS to DHEW [Department of Health Education and Welfare] who in turn will transfer it to Dr. Hayakawa of San Francisco State. The Old Mint will be torn down to make room for the construction of a downtown campus for San Francisco State. The contents of the cornerstone are to be transferred to NARS [National Archives and Records Service]. Other historical items will be transferred to the Smithsonian Institution if they so desire them.31

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In 1972, President Nixon transferred jurisdiction of the Old Mint from the Department of General Services to the U.S. Treasury Department, Bureau of the Mint for “restoration and public enjoyment.”32 The Bureau of the Mint, under the direction of the formidable Mrs. , had advocated for the preservation of the Old Mint. An interior restoration at the eastern portion of the building followed, and the building re-opened in 1973 as a museum.33 The offices in the remainder of the building were occupied by the Bureau of the Mint’s Division of Special Coins and Medals as the west coast office of numismatic sales, processing millions of mail orders received annually.34

Old Mint as Museum, Building Alterations 1972-1976 To ready the Old Mint for use as a museum and upgrade spaces for office use, a wide-ranging, phased campaign of building works was carried out under architect Walter Sontheimer, AIA. Other work for office upgrades was executed by Construction Evaluators, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Under the project title "Old Mint Reactivation" the work by Construction Evaluators appears to have been mostly utilitarian, mechanical, electrical, and demolition of non-historic features, in preparation for preservation work in the public areas of the building and remodeling of the offices on the first and second floors in the north, south, and west wings.

Eastern portions of the ground and first floors were restored and rehabilitated for the conversion to museum function in the 1970s. Original spatial configuration and circulation remained. First floor offices off the main corridor, facing 5th Street, retain their spatial configuration and many historic materials. Original materials were retained, including stone flooring, plaster wall surfaces, iron staircases, window and door casings, and decorative work. Fireplaces, vaults, and cast iron shutters were refurbished. New materials included oak flooring, spot lights, picture rail moldings, reproductions of original light fixtures, a new barrel vaulted ceiling the main corridor of the ground floor, two-over-two, metal-framed windows, display cases, and interpretive elements.

At the north, south, and west wings, structural modifications were made, including the removal of six original structural cast iron columns on the first floor at the north wing (now Room 130) to create space for a large mainframe computer. For the offices, modifications included installation of raised floors, suspended ceilings, wall partitions, and new light fixtures. Electrical and mechanical systems were upgraded, as were elevators and toilets.

Under Sontheimer’s direction, the total scope of work was comprehensive. Opening the Old Mint Museum to the public was a high priority as the interior renovation was part of the earliest phases of work. In 1973, the two-story courtyard vault was removed and a new courtyard floor and paving was installed on the first floor, entailing closure of the courtyard windows on the ground floor, and

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the conversion of two first floor windows into doors. Exterior conservation and restoration took place between 1973 and 1976, with cleaning and repair or replacement of deteriorated stone facing and replacement of mortar. New cornices and parapet sections cast in fiberglass were installed. The exterior granite base was repaired. Exterior building work during this period is categorized as conservation, with replication of the new cornice.

On the interior, Sontheimer assumed a restoration approach to the project to return some aspects of the Old Mint to the original condition. Apparently, he relied heavily on the historical record and original Mullett drawings to inform decisions. Rooms 121 and 122 were repainted in the historic paint scheme. Hardware was replicated, as were window shades based on an original geometric design at the perimeter. Though not carried out, reconstruction of the short chimneys visible from the courtyard was studied and designed.35 Sontheimer’s drawings include preliminary construction drawings, perspective sketches of courtyard, and architectural details. From structural and exterior work to landscaping, interior renovations, details, and displays, he was involved with the project for at least a 4-year period. Based on building inspection and Sontheimer’s drawings, his work at the exterior, courtyard, east part of the ground floor, first and second floor double height rooms, east and south parts of the first floor, and east side of the second floor appears to conform to the Secretary’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Most of the work done prior to and during the 1970s for office modifications on the ground floor rear and courtyard, the first floor west and north wings, and the west half of the second floor does not conform to the Secretary’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Recent History As the building’s use has changed over time and occupants of different government agencies have come and gone, machinery and furnishings that indicate functions have been removed. For the conversion to office use, typical alterations included the partitioning of workspaces at the first and second floors in the north, south, and west sides of the building, together with dropped ceilings and raised floors. In general, the changes that have occurred on the interior are not characterized by the removal of material that permanently eliminates historic fabric as much as by layers of later interventions that hide original building fabric. In 1994 the Treasury Department closed the Mint Museum citing high maintenance costs. Shortly thereafter, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the structure as one of “America’s Eleven Most Endangered”. Other offices for federal agencies remained in the building until 1998.

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Alfred B. Mullett, Architect Alfred Bult Mullett (1834-1890) was one of the most prolific, influential, and controversial architects working for the U.S. Government during the second half of the 19th century. As Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1866 to 1874, Mullett exerted a huge influence over public building design during a period of prosperity and political stability. A detailed biographical picture of Mullett, his work, and his times is illustrated in Antoinette J. Lee’s Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office.36 The following information is summarized from that study. Mullett was born in Taunton, Somerset County, England and emigrated with his family to Ohio in 1842. He studied engineering and drafting at the Farmers College in Cincinnati and worked with Isaiah Rogers in that city. Mullett moved to Washington, D.C., with his Civil War regiment and, after its disbandment, began working for the Treasury Department in the office that then designed and built government buildings. He was appointed Supervising Architect of the Treasury in 1866, succeeding his mentor and immediate predecessor, Isaiah Rogers, a proponent of the classical tradition. Mullett designed post offices, customhouses, court houses, and other federal government buildings throughout the United States until his resignation in 1874, the completion date of the United States Mint in San Francisco. By 1874, when Mullett left the position of Supervising Architect, he had supervised the design and construction of approximately 40 new buildings, including massive federal buildings in New York, St. Louis, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and San Francisco. He also designed the State, War, and Navy Building (now known as the Old Executive Office Building) in Washington D.C., a commission that he claimed was outside the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department, and for which he was not compensated.

Employing a variety of architectural styles, Mullett’s design philosophy varied from building to building depending largely on the specific site, its climate, regional materials and the particular program it was to serve. However, in all the building works under his direction, he maintained the consistent goal to build for posterity, stating:

Experience having demonstrated that cheaply constructed buildings, though costing less at first, are the most costly in the end, I have endeavored to secure the best, most substantial, and permanent structures, and have not attempted to exhibit economy by the use of interior materials, or at the expense of the quantity of the work.37

With regard to the design of federal buildings, Mullett further believed that a building’s location within a community was of considerable importance and recommended that “all government buildings be isolated by wide streets or open spaces” as a measure of protection against urban conflagrations.38 Mullett also stressed the importance of securing “good light on all sides of a

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building and convenience of location to a “large majority of the inhabitants of the various places.”39 All these points are obvious and manifested in the design and construction of the Old Mint.

Mullett’s architectural firm, established in 1875, was responsible for a major advance in commercial architecture in Washington, D.C.—the design of the Sun Building. While not large by New York or Chicago standards, at 8 stories it was the tallest building in the city when it was completed in 1887. When sons Thomas A. Mullett and Frederick W. Mullett, as well as James F. Denson, who worked as draftsmen in Mullett’s architectural firm, were made partners in 1889 the name of the firm became A.B. Mullett & Co. The firm continued after the elder Mullett’s death in 1890.

The Old Mint in San Francisco is considered to be Mullett’s most accomplished work in the Greek Revival idiom, and its inauguration coincided with his resignation from the office of the Supervising Architect. Other existing buildings designed by Mullett include the Mint in Carson City, Nevada and the State, War and Navy Building in Washington, D.C.

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Original Drawings by Mullett Existing Mullett working drawings are fairly extensive, and include basic drawings giving overall information, such as elevations, sections, floor and foundation plans, and structural information like the drawing entitled Plans of Wrought Iron Beams. More detailed drawings illustrate the stonework showing stone courses for elevations and cornices and pediments, a roof plan of timber construction, the plan of the portico and steps, as well as interior details for cast iron shutters, cast iron columns, and ironwork stairs. Taken together, the Mullett drawings provide a significant amount of information regarding original conditions, room uses, materials, and details at the Old Mint. A sampling of Mullett’s drawings of the second United States Mint in San Francisco are found at Appendix D.

Mullett’s designs indicate that the building originally accommodated a library and a laboratory. Some drawings give information about elements of the building that no longer exist, such as the 14 original roof skylights to the attic now covered with a modern roofing material.

At the same time that Mullett was working on his designs for the U.S. Mint, the firm of H.J. Booth & Co. drew up plans for the manufacture of the motive power equipment. A series of drawings, still extant, by H.J. Booth & Co., entitled Shafting for the New U.S. Mint, illustrate the original shafting system that ran pulleys, belts, and wheels to operate the machinery. (See Appendix D). Associated drawings show details of hangers, wall brackets, and couplings for the shafting system, together with details of bed plates and pillow blocks. The centerpiece of the Mint’s machinery was Engine No. 1 operated by a series of cylinders and valve chests and powered by four tubular steam boilers. (Figure 22, Appendix A). Compared to the archaic machinery of the previous Mint building, the H.J. Booth equipment was impressive:

The New Mint was thrown open yesterday to the public and thousands took advantage of the opportunity to visit it and inspect the machinery . Some of the machinery was set in motion just to give the people an opportunity of viewing its smoothness of motion and complex character.40

Later developments, such as the installation of a second boiler in 1901 and the building’s electrification in 1914, suggest that Booth’s Engine No. 1 would have been obsolete by then. This machinery was removed from the building at an unknown date; however, the location of the main belt and guide pulley that motored the engine shaft is visible at the rear of the ground floor between Rooms 40 and 46 where the masonry walls are imprinted with indentations corresponding to the machinery. (Figure 69, Appendix B).

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Walter M. Sontheimer, AIA Noted for the restoration of historic buildings, Walter M. Sontheimer, AIA, practiced in San Francisco during the post-World War II era. His best known work was the Old Mint restoration for which he was praised by the American Institute of Architects for “his exceptional care and concern for detail in returning this grand structure to its original glory.” 41 Sontheimer was also responsible for the meticulous restoration of the U.S. Court of Appeals Building and Post Office at Mission and 7th Streets and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. A graduate of Stanford University and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Sontheimer also designed residences and public buildings throughout Northern California. Appointed to the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Commission by Mayor Dianne Feinstein, he served from 1980 to 1984. He was also chairman of the historic resources committee of the California Council of the American Institute of Architects. Sontheimer died on 5 June 1985 at the age of 53.42

Designed to monumental scale and proportions, the building’s distinguishing element is the colonnade of six monolithic sandstone columns forming the temple-front portico, seen here in this view of the Mint’s primary façade facing 5th Street.

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VI. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Site The Old United States Mint in San Francisco is located at the northwest corner of 5th and Mission Streets on a site bordered by Mint Alley at the rear, Jessie Street along the north side, and Mission to the south. The principal façade of the Mint is east-facing, fronting 5th Street. The building measures 160 feet on the north and south sides and 217 feet at the front and rear. As the building is bounded by streets at all elevations, it is a free-standing structure that conveys a monumentality of space and ease of circulation rare in downtown San Francisco. The structure is set apart from surrounding buildings, most of which are relatively low-scale. Consequently, it benefits from unrestricted natural light, contributing to a spacious airy feeling. (Figure 45, Appendix B).

Style Known as the "Granite Lady" for its stately, classic revival architecture, the Old Mint was one of the last important Greek Revival monuments of this scale built in the United States. The building’s architectural style is Greek Revival, epitomized by the classic Greek temple front. The building incorporates elements of the Roman Doric order as seen in the column bases. Designed to monumental scale and proportions, the building’s distinguishing element is the colonnade of six monolithic sandstone columns forming a portico. Plain two-story square pilasters and a Doric frieze are examples of the structure’s simplified ornamentation. (Figures 46, 48-49, Appendix B).

Construction and Organization The Old Mint is free-standing and roughly rectangular in plan with its four wings built around an open central interior courtyard. (Figures 50, 57, Appendix B). The building consists of two full floors over a street-level ground floor, or basement, constructed on a concrete foundation. The height of the ground floor level measures 12 feet; the first floor is 18 feet and the second is 16 feet. Two separate partial attic spaces exist below the east and west gables. Above the massive granite ground floor, sandstone sheaths the exterior of the brick upper walls. The roof is nearly flat, but gently slopes in toward the central courtyard except at the two pitched center gables corresponding to the pediments at the front and back of the building. The original roof construction is of wood sheathing over cast iron framing which remains. The original roofing was of , which no longer exists. At present the roof membrane is a roll-roofing product. Parapets outline the perimeter of the roof and hide equipment and low chimney flues. (Figures 51-53, Appendix B). The building was designed to have its own water source with a cistern located at the base of the building’s courtyard; supplemental wells were an addition in 1906.43

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The construction system relied on the most modern technologies of the day involving cast and wrought iron to create a “fire-proof” building, together with an impressive load-bearing granite base. The masonry walls support iron floor beams that carry corrugated iron arches filled with masonry and concrete. Iron beams rest on cast iron columns encased in regularly spaced brick masonry piers on the interior. The beams are stamped with “Trenton, New Jersey” and “Philadelphia, Pa.” The shallow brick was considered a new “fire-proof” building material having been developed in response to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The modern fire-proofing concept was expressed visually in the structure’s design and is apparent in the wrought iron beams separating shallow vaulted ceilings throughout. Another expression of the interior building materials is the contrast of the utilitarian corrugated metal ceilings and the classically detailed cast iron pilasters, as in Rooms 121 and 122.

Exterior Building Materials The exterior walls of the Old Mint are comprised of a granite base at the ground floor level with sandstone masonry used above this monumental plinth. The hammer-dressed granite blocks are laid in regular courses, typically 24 inches high, with a carved belt course between the ground and first floors. The granite is from “the celebrated Penryn quarries of Placer County [of] G. Griffith & Co.,” near Rocklin, Placer County, California.44 Granite was first quarried in Rocklin in 1863 and stone from that area was used in the construction of several monumental buildings in northern California, including the State Capitol in Sacramento and the Crocker Building in downtown San Francisco. Placer County became the principal granite-producing area in the Sacramento Valley in the 19th century.45 The granite quarries in this area are no longer active. The sandstone masonry at the first, second, and attic levels is composed of 12-inch thick smooth-face ashlar blocks laid in a regular coursing pattern. The exterior walls of the courtyard are also faced with sandstone ashlar blocks. Trim and decorative pieces, such as the window sills and Doric entablature, were fabricated out of the same sandstone. (Figures 54-57, Appendix B). The buff colored sandstone is from the Newcastle Island Quarry near Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Sandstone from this area was used as dimension stone for building in San Francisco prior to construction of the Old Mint. Newcastle Island is the largest of five islands off the east coast of Vancouver Island, now a provincial park. The quarries of the islands have been closed since 1927.46

Other exterior materials include brick chimneys with interior cast iron framing. Cast iron was used for ornament on the exterior at the tops of the chimneys, though this has been removed. Two- over-two sash windows, metal-framed on the first and ground floors and wood-framed on the second level, are set into the sandstone about 10 inches and have slightly projecting sills.

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Exterior Description - General Each elevation is visible to the public and incorporates the same architectural vocabulary and materials. Identical projecting corner pavilions, consisting of three bays delineated by two-story pilasters, anchor each end of the elevations. A Doric entablature circles the building, highlighted by pediments over the portico and rear central pavilion. Above the entablature, a solid parapet is slightly raked at the corner pavilions and flat and parallel to the cornice elsewhere along the straight runs of the parapet. The ground floor level is separated from the upper stories by a projecting, flat-faced belt course, and contains windows and service entries on axis with the openings above.

All four exterior elevations exhibit similar conditions of stone failure and typical patterns of conservation issues, as follows: exfoliation and erosion of the ashlar sandstone of the main wall plane; erosion at the first floor windows sills, pilaster plinths, and torus; and, on the ashlar units above the granite belt course, cracking, spalls, and voids requiring treatment, discoloration and soiling of the granite base, iron staining, and bird guano. (Figures 60, 61, Appendix B). A pigeon deterrent, a substance similar to tar and commonly known as “hotfoot”, is visible on granite ledges and sandstone window sills. Previous repairs to the sandstone are in fairly good condition with some color differences visible; some earlier patching will require removal or retreatment. Exterior bracket sconces remain on the ground floor level though some are missing or broken at various places on the structure. (Figure 120, Appendix B).

Exterior East (Front) Elevation Description The most distinguished of the elevations is the principal or 5th Street façade, the centerpiece of which is the hexastyle temple-front portico with six 30-foot colossal fluted Doric columns of solid sandstone. The typical pattern of exfoliation and erosion that appears throughout the building exterior appears at the portico and pediment as well, compounded by graffiti and pigeon guano. Two-story engaged pilasters parallel to the portico columns define five bays behind the colonnade, with the main entrance located in the center. The imposing main entrance consists of a pair of extremely tall, paneled cast iron doors with a gold finish, originally painted black. The doors, which do not shut properly, exhibit some corrosion at the bottom panel and are missing hardware. Two pair of two-over-two double-hung windows flank the main doors. A steep pyramid of granite stairs ascends from the sidewalk to the main entry located in the central bay of the portico.

Above the columns of the portico, an entablature consists of an architrave accented by guttae, a triglyph and metope frieze, horizontal and raking cornices with block modillions, and a triangular pediment. Both the tympanum and the metopes are unornamented. A flagpole rises behind the pediment. To either side of the portico, recessed wings contain four bays of window openings.

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Multi-globe cast iron lamp standards flank the main steps at the level of the landing. A variety of conditions can be seen at the lamps, such as iron staining at the base of the lamps, corrosion of the lamp standards, especially at the base, broken globes, and missing decorative elements.

At the building front, grassy gardens with original fountains flank the central stair and are enclosed by a fence of cast iron railings and a low granite curb. (Figure 47, Appendix B). This treatment separates the building from the public right-of-way and lends a formal effect to the setting. The fence was repaired and some iron elements reproduced in 1973.47 The fence exhibits some failures such as openings at almost every joint along the granite curb with evidence of some biological growth in between granite blocks. The granite curb also exhibits cracking at the post location. At the south end of the fence, one granite block is out of place. The cast iron railings exhibit corrosion and have some missing elements, as do the iron lamp standards that also have broken and missing glass globes.

Exterior West (Rear) Elevation Description The rear elevation is identical to the east façade, except that in this case the temple front is replaced by a five-bay central pavilion. This central element is topped by a pediment as at the front and projects the depth of one bay. At this elevation, the corner pavilions are defined by the two-story pilasters, and project only the depth of the pilasters. Service entries consisting of paneled double doors are located at the ground floor level on either side of the central element and face north and south. Low granite curbs separate ramps that incline slightly, from the adjacent higher portions of Mint Street. Additional entrance doors into the ground floor level are located in the central bay of each corner pavilion, both originally window openings. The door opening on the south side exhibits extensive corrosion and displacement. Two brick chimneys rise 50 feet above the rear parapet. One mounted light fixture remains on the northernmost side of the rear elevation while three others are missing.

The typical pattern of sandstone exfoliation and erosion that appear at pilasters and ashlar blocks elsewhere on the building exterior also appear at the rear elevation. The erosion of the stone arrises is somewhat more extensive, the openings at sandstone joints are more numerous, the top moldings of the pilasters are eroded, and all sills display moderate to severe erosion. The granite at the center pavilion base is cracked and exfoliated and exhibits some open joints. A large granite spall occurs at the base of the southernmost window bay.

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Exterior North (Side) Elevation The building’s north elevation faces Jessie Street. As opposed to the front and rear elevations, the north elevation omits any centerpiece element, containing instead a recessed wall plane comprised of eight bays of windows between the corner pavilions. At present, the most commonly used entrance to the building is through the easternmost bay of the recessed wall, near the junction with the corner pavilion. The original doors at this entrance have been replaced. At the ground floor level, two additional doors were created from original window openings in the middle of the elevation; both doors are vented and lead to rooms with machinery inside. The torch-like bracket sconce mounted to the granite base at the eastern end of the building is missing its globe. (Figure 120, Appendix B). A similar light fixture is missing from the opposite end of the elevation. Non-historic security lighting and cameras have been installed.

The north elevation exhibits the typical pattern of granite soiling, sandstone exfoliation, and previous patching as seen throughout the building, but the ferrous staining and discoloration on this elevation is somewhat more serious.

Exterior South (Side) Elevation Facing Mission Street, the south elevation, similar to the north elevation, has eight bays of windows spanning the wall plane between the projecting corner pavilions; it is nearly identical to the north side of the building. As at the north elevation, an entrance into the ground floor is located in the easternmost bay of the recessed wall, near the junction with the corner pavilion. As at the front of the building, an enclosed area with plants bordered by a fence of cast iron railings and a low granite curb separates the south elevation from the public right-of-way along Mission Street.

The south elevation exhibits the typical pattern of granite soiling and sandstone exfoliation as seen throughout the building with particularly extensive erosion on the stone arrises. The south elevation seems to be preferred by pigeons who roost on the sunny side most of the day resulting in very heavy soiling and accumulated guano. Open joints in the sandstone and granite are evident and a granite spalling occurs below the window level on the granite base with a particularly large spall at the base of the easternmost window bay.

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Courtyard Although the courtyard retains simple lines of a graceful design, original window openings, and sandstone facing and other sandstone elements, this area represents one of the most altered spaces in the Old Mint. (Figure 57, Appendix B). The Old Mint was originally designed and constructed so that this open rectangular interior space acted as a lightwell to the ground floor level. This device provided an ample light source to the perimeter rooms at the ground floor level of the lightwell, as well as a means of air circulation. Sometime before 1914, the entire courtyard area was roofed over below the first floor windows to accommodate a new engine room and a new sweepers room at the ground floor level, as indicated by a 1914 floor plan.48 Over time the windows serving the ground floor were bricked in and some openings were converted to doors. From 1928 until 1973 a two-story vault stood at the ground floor level of this space; its shallow gabled roof punctured the roof over the ground floor level. In addition, a series of sawtooth skylights parallel to the south elevation punctured the roof over the ground floor level to illuminate the passage space below. In 1973, this vault and roof were removed. At that time, a steel and concrete floor slab was installed to support the existing granite pavers that form the new courtyard floor. In 1973, this space became re-defined and used in an entirely new manner. Once the area was re-roofed, the space at the ground floor level was converted into a large workspace and two first floor windows in Room 104 were converted to doors.

At present the interior courtyard elevations frame another of the Old Mint’s more interesting spaces, an open-air, double-height outdoor “room”. The exterior courtyard elevations are faced in the same warm, gold sandstone of the street elevations. On the north and south walls, four two- over-two windows at both the first and second floors are in vertical alignment with a simplified cornice above; capped chimney flues (formerly full height) are visible at the roofline. Both the east and west walls have a pedimented central wall section that subtly extends beyond the wall plane. Window openings at the first and second floor are in vertical alignment with two narrow attic floor windows, each below the gable. Delamination of the ashlar blocks and deterioration of the stone of the cornice is severe.

Circular light fixtures are recessed into the pre-cast paving stones at the perimeter of the courtyard. Benches and planters remain from the 1973 renovation.

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Chimneys Two chimneys tower over the central element of the rear wing. Of unreinforced brick construction with cast iron framing and ties, the chimneys rise just over 100 feet above Mint Street. Near the top each chimney has two courses of corbelled brickwork of one brick width on either side of a profiled molding, possibly of metal. On each face of each chimney three, narrow, blind window openings are arranged in vertical alignment. Historical photographs reveal that the chimneys originally were much more ornate, featuring decorative pedimented blind openings, balustraded balconies, and molding. All such ornament was executed in cast iron.49 The presence of cast iron ornament is consistent with historical references, and investigation reveals that cast iron molding remains on the one existing original chimney at the northeastern side of the roof. (Figure 58, Appendix B). The chimneys were altered at an unknown date early in the 20th century to remove the top 25 feet of each including the cast iron ornament. The chimneys remain very significant as the clearest exterior expression of the industrial nature of the Old Mint. (Figure 59, Appendix B).

Originally an additional 25 feet taller and ornamented with cast iron, the brick chimneys at the rear of the Old Mint express the industrial nature of the building.

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Interior Description - General All floors, except the attic, are similar in plan, and are organized around a double-loaded, north- south running main corridor that spans the width of the building on the east half. The main corridor on each floor measures approximately 190 feet by 12 feet. Eastern portions of the ground and first floors were restored and rehabilitated for the conversion to museum function in the 1970s. First and second floor offices off the main corridor, facing 5th Street, retain many historic materials. Original spatial configuration and circulation have been retained throughout. Original materials were retained including stone flooring, plaster wall surfaces, iron staircases, window and door casings, and decorative work. Fireplaces, vaults, and cast iron shutters were refurbished. New materials included oak flooring, spot lights, picture rail moldings, reproductions of original light fixtures, a new barrel vaulted ceiling the main corridor of the ground floor, two- over-two metal framed windows, display cases and interpretive elements.

The north, south, and west wings of the first and second floors, which are designed to open into each other, enfilade, rather than onto a corridor, were originally utilitarian production spaces that accommodated heavy industry. At present, these spaces can be characterized by uniform alterations of raised floors, dropped ceilings and partition walls. To a large degree, room configurations and original circulation have been retained. Whereas greater amounts of new, modern materials have been installed over historic fabric in the western or rear half of the building, preservation effort and restorative treatments have occurred in the eastern or front half of the building. In all areas of the building, alterations have occurred over time. At present, the tendency is to view the building in terms of the “historic” half and the “non-historic” half. In fact, many historic elements of varying levels of significance, resulting from varying types of intervention, are found throughout all levels of the building.

Columns On the ground floor, structural support is provided by cast iron columns encased in brick piers. Columns support a square cast iron plate and a structural beam. In some cases the brick has been removed revealing the cast iron columns. Further, some columns have been removed altogether as at Room 46. At the first floor, exposed cast iron columns support areas of larger open floor spaces and serve as decorative elements. Like the ground floor, columns have been removed from the upper floors in Rooms 130, 240, 230, and 240.

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Circulation In the eastern or front half of the building, offices and workrooms open off double-loaded, north- south running corridors at the first, second and ground floors. Vertical circulation is provided by open staircases with decorative cast iron railings that rise from the ground floor to the second story near the north and south ends of the corridors. The staircases are comprised of cast iron balustrades and granite treads set above a cast iron stringer with palmette moldings. (Figures 62, 96, Appendix B). Windows at the landings illuminate each flight. (Figure 95, Appendix B). Secondary stairs are located in corresponding positions on the west side of the building, spaces designated as 133A and 142A, at the northwest and southwest corners, each connecting the ground floor to the second story. These two sets of stairs are secondary in function, serving the more utilitarian spaces, and in scale, both having smaller size, steeper pitch, and more shallow landings. Both retain cast iron balustrades. (Figure 109, Appendix B). The wall surfaces in these stairwells are plastered with a light parge coat not the smooth plaster in spaces of higher significance. Both sets of rear stairs have been altered to accommodate raised floor levels. Access to the eastern portion of the attic is via a cast iron stairway located in Room 201, directly above the first floor entry vestibule. (Figure 97, 98, Appendix B). At the western side of the building, another stair, a later intervention framed in wood, ascends to the attic alongside an original spiral cast iron stair. A second spiral cast iron stair at Room 219, now removed, gave access to crawlspace on the attic’s south side; related hardware and the attic opening remain.

Ground Floor Originally an active hub of mint production with boilers, furnaces, and legions of employees at work in well-ventilated, naturally lit spaces adjacent to the open courtyard, a visitor’s perception of the ground floor today is quite different. At present, the lack of natural light, long dark halls, and bricked up openings creating divided cellular spaces, belie the fact that the ground floor originally benefited from abundant natural daylight and air from the courtyard. (Figure 63, Appendix B). An annotated early Mullett drawing indicates some of the early functions in the ground floor: Machine Shop (Room 14); Store Rooms (Rooms 1 and 3); Melting Room (Room 9); Carpenter’s Shop (Room 13); Storekeeper’s Room (Room 7); Blacksmith’s Shop (Room 10); Wood Shop (Room 17); Hardening Room (Room 18); Grinding Machine (Room 36); and, Coal Stores (Rooms 21, 22, and 24). As stated above, the courtyard was open at the ground level and served as a source of daylight and air. No specific function is attributed to the courtyard on the early drawings, though it was the location of two wells and a cistern that provided water to the building.

Brick walls, piers, and vaulted ceilings and granite walls, vaults, and floors are the principal materials at the ground floor level. The ground floor is characterized by brick walls up to 4 feet thick, cast iron interior window shutters, large irregularly sized paving stones and shallow barrel

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vaulted ceilings, often with suspended ceilings below. The plan of the ground floor mostly mirrors those of the floors above except at the main corridor, which extends beneath the portico and the 5th Street entry stair where the massive granite foundations and exterior walls of the portico up to 5 feet thick are exposed. In this area, brick ceilings are barrel vaulted and the spaces are connected by arched openings through the massive masonry walls. (Figures 64, 70-71, Appendix B). Alterations dating to the 1970s include the brick wall infill in three east facing arches to form display areas. While typical cast iron elements on the upper floors include shutters, casings, and moldings, the ground floor retains these and many miscellaneous cast iron elements, such as lintels (in Room 13), exterior doors, columns, wall bolts, baseboards, posts, stanchions, brackets, and protective corner plates on the brick piers. (Figures 65-66, 73-74, 79, Appendix B).

As in the rest of the building, changes at the ground floor level were made over time. Vaults that line the double-loaded, north-south running corridor were added subsequent to the original construction of the building, as is the case in Room 19, a metal-lined vault. The construction technique, later replicated in Rooms 8 and 9, consists of the insertion of alternating layers of steel and iron plate over the masonry walls, ceiling, and floor. (Figure 72, Appendix B). Rooms 8, 9, and 10 were converted to vaults before 1914. Masonry vaults were created in Rooms 7, 10, 22, and 26 after 1914. (Figure 77, 78, Appendix B). In Rooms 8 and 9, metal lining, manufactured by Jones and Laughlins, is inserted over the windows; curiously, the cast iron shutters, in the closed position, are visible from the exterior of the building. In Room 10, the window openings were bricked in with the cast iron shutters in place and they are also visible form the exterior. Other vault doors are painted with embellishments and gilded designs with the names of the manufacturers, George L. Damon Company of Boston, the Hermann Safe Company of San Francisco, and the Halls Safe and Lock Company. (Figure 67, 116, Appendix B).

Some alterations at the first and second floors in the north, south, and west sides of the building, are evident in the ground floor as well where dropped ceilings, raised floors, and applied wall surfaces are attached. (Figure 75, 80, and 82, Appendix B). Many door and window openings at the ground floor level, especially around the perimeter of the former open courtyard, have been bricked up. Bricked up door and window openings creating solid walls and enclosing spaces give a feeling quite distinct from the original construction.

The Old Mint’s original boilers were located in Rooms 43 and 54. An early alteration dates to 1901 when a boiler was inserted into Room 27. This work entailed digging two pits, one still existing, approximately 4 feet deep, with brick flooring laid in a herringbone pattern. This area, now enclosed by an elaborate cast iron gate with grillwork, contains a boiler face mounted to the

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wall. Neither the grate nor the boiler face are original to the Old Mint operation, but were installed for interpretive purposes in 1973.

Interventions at the ground floor level related to the 1973 museum installation include the insertion of a barrel-vaulted ceiling dropped into the main north south corridor approximately 11 inches below the original, vault door rehabilitation, new brick walls, fire doors at the north and south ends of the main corridor, and the addition of display casework. The main corridor is illuminated by two-arm light fixtures, some original, some reproductions and other original fixtures remain. (Figures 68, 118, Appendix B).

Remaining from the original construction is a patch of graffiti, spanning the width of one brick pier in Room 21 left by workmen with their initials and the date “1874,” a rare artifact. (Figure 76, Appendix B).

The stair leading from the ground floor to the first floor in the Old Mint. All elements of the stair are cast iron except the mahogany handrail.

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First Floor The highlight of the interior space is a pair of ornately decorated offices, Rooms 121 and 122, located at the heart of the building on axis with the main entrance doors and vestibule and adjacent to the courtyard. (Figure 84, Appendix B). Room 121, originally the Office of the Mint, and Room 122, originally the Office of the Assistant Treasurer are mirror images of each other, measuring approximately 40 feet long by 30 feet wide and 35 feet high. Pairs of fluted cast iron pilasters set above paneled pedestals line all walls of the first story. Rosettes adorn the pilaster capitals, above which a frieze and cast iron moldings provide transition to the balcony. The upper portion of each room is encircled by a railed balcony accessible from the second floor corridor. At the top of the second story the cornice is comprised of a series of intricate moldings, including rosettes, dentils, and an egg-and-dart motif. The shallow corrugated galvanized iron arches of the ceiling are delineated by moldings. (Figure 94, Appendix B). One of the most striking characteristics of Rooms 121 and 122 is that all of the decorative elements are made of cast iron in an era when the most commonly used material for these features was plaster. Other original cast iron elements include profiled baseboards, fluted pilasters, window and door casings, cornices and moldings, and the highly decorative painted cast iron railings. The two vaults in Rooms 121 and 122 on the first floor are original.

The walls of Rooms 121 and 122 are smooth finish plaster over brick in between 30 cast iron pilasters. (Figure 91-93, Appendix B). The rooms also exhibit details and elements that date to the 1973 work, including, the vibrant, multi-hued paint scheme that recalls a High Victorian scheme and 2-inch oak strip flooring. These spaces are lit by three 12-armed pendant chandeliers with globes, reproductions that date to 1973, and by four directed spotlights. Looking to the courtyard from each room are four metal sash windows on the west wall, with four wood windows in vertical alignment on the second floor above. (Figure 90, Appendix B). None of the windows are equipped with shutters but those on the first floor have shades. The courtyard-facing windows on both levels have straight-sided jambs on the interior. Four openings in the east wall correspond to the window openings and contain double mahogany doors with patterned glazed panels leading to the main hall. At the second floor, two openings lead from the corridor onto each balcony.

Both Rooms 121 and 122 were originally equipped with long counters for public transactions. An original drawing depicts the counters as being divided by teller-type windows with an arched pediment over the opening and decorative carved wood ornament, though early photographs show teller windows topped with a pediment.50 (Figure 19, Appendix A).

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Room 122 has a carpet over the oak flooring that dates to 1973. It does not have the spot lighting as in Room 121. Corrosion of the cast iron in Rooms 121 and 122 appears to be limited to discrete areas of oxidization on the ceiling where water infiltration has corroded some parts of the molding. Related to this, corrosion has dripped from the ceiling onto one of the glass chandelier globes. The damage to the ceiling and cast iron corrosion in Room 122 appears to be less than at Room 121.

Main Corridor and Adjacent Spaces The main corridor is a double-loaded, north-south running corridor that spans the width of the building and provides circulation to the most significant spaces of the first floor, including Rooms 121 and 122 described above. (Figure 85, Appendix B). Natural light illuminates the corridor from a single window at either end of the hall. Picture rail moldings to support spot lights were added to the corridor during the conversion to museum use in the 1970s. Also restored as part of the 1973 museum project, secondary offices off the main corridor, facing 5th Street, are noteworthy as they retain their spatial configuration and many historic materials. These offices feature high barrel- vaulted ceilings supporting chandeliers (both original and reproduction), smooth plastered walls, typical windows and doors with cast iron casings, pink-veined marble fireplaces with black marble trim and marble hearths, cast iron baseboards, and black and white marble flooring. (Figures 87- 88, 117, Appendix B). The first floor is distinguished by diamond-patterned stone flooring in the corridor, very high ceilings, and the main vestibule and entrance. The configuration of Rooms 103, 104, and 105, originally the Private Office, suggests that this space served as a single office with amenities such as a closet and possibly washroom in the space that is now an elevator shaft, Room 105. (Figure 86, Appendix B). Rooms 117 and 127 are restored workrooms, both have two-arm chandeliers as in the main corridor of the ground floor. Room 117 is distinguished by exposed brick wall surfaces. (Figure 89, Appendix B). Room 127 has double rows of cast iron columns, six in total.

In contrast to the well-appointed and well-furnished offices in the east wing of the first floor, the other first floor rooms at the north and west wings were large open spaces for utilitarian production. These rooms accommodated heavy industry and were characterized by double rows of cast iron columns. Some original coin production room functions were as follows: Silver Melting Room (Room 135); Coining Room (Room 140); Engine Room (Room 141); Annealing Room (Room 146); Whitening Room (Room 154); Rolling Room (Room 130); and, Counting Room (Room 118). The typical alterations, raised module flooring and dropped ceilings, were inserted into these spaces. Many of the items installed into these rooms have since been removed, such as demountable wall partitions and a mainframe computer that filled most of Room 118, leaving open spaces. Modifications to accommodate electrical wiring are still obvious.

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Second Floor The main north-south running corridor on the second floor is similar in function and configuration to that on the first floor. However, both ends of the second floor corridor terminate in the addition of small infill offices. At the north end of the second floor, half walls delineate a ramp leading to the remodeled offices along the north wing. (Figure 99, Appendix B).

Corrugated iron ceilings remain throughout the second floor spaces. The offices that span the east side of the second floor retain the original configuration and some original features, but all have been altered by the addition of suspended ceilings and by the removal of some fireplaces. (Figure 100, 103, Appendix B). Original uses include Room 213 as Assayers Office and Room 214 as the Adjusting Room. Room 214 at the northeast corner has been modified with an infill office, suspended ceiling and removed fireplace. (Figure 104, Appendix B). Doors may contain some original mahogany, but all have been altered with new material pieced in and vents cut into the bottom panels for fire code compliance. A cast iron stair in Room 201 leads to the attic floor above; this room is also fitted with non-historic cabinets and shelving. (Figure 97, Appendix B).

The second floor spaces on the western half of the building, originally workrooms, have been subdivided by temporary or demountable partitions for office use. At Room 217 on the second floor, the floor level transitions from the original height at the main corridor to raised flooring at the south wing, which continues through the north and west sides of the building. (Figure 105, Appendix B). Dropped ceilings and raised flooring to accommodate wiring for computers were installed along with casework and shelving. (Figure 108, Appendix B). Original elements are present but some alterations in these spaces have permanently affected historic materials where window casings have been removed and the lower portions of door casings have been cut away to accommodate raised floor levels or concrete floor poured. Cast iron columns have been removed. Some of the walls have had original plaster removed leaving exposed brick walls. (Figures 101, 107, Appendix B). Other rooms have been modified so that historic fabric is completely covered. (Figure 102, Appendix B).

Toilet Rooms Original drawings reveal that the building was built with a pair of wash rooms on the east side of each floor adjacent to the front staircases serving the main corridors. Though all retain the original historic location of the wash room, these spaces have been remodeled several times, retaining little original material. Other wash and shower facilities were installed in the ground floor at an early date. Modern toilet rooms were later inserted at the rear of the building in the spaces between the chimneys on the first and second floors during the office upgrading of the 1970s.

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Attic The attic spaces below the gabled section on the east side of the building was designed as useable space. The remainder of the attic is crawl space. The east attic is defined by large partitioned spaces off a narrow central hall (Room 301). Room 300 is the most spacious and has two west-facing windows looking to the courtyard and an elevator shaft. Recent room uses include Museum Collections Storage in Room 306, a practice Firing Range for the federal police in Room 307, and a Museum Conservation Lab in Room 302. (Figure 28, Appendix A). Roof access is gained through a hatch in Room 304. Interesting artifacts related to the building history are found in the attic, such as the 1914 switchboard in Room 302, the original divided lite transom over the door to Room 302, and original cast iron structural ties and trusses. (Figures 111, 113- 115, Appendix B).

Access is gained to attic space below the west gable via an original cast iron spiral stair. (Figure 110, Appendix B). A wood stair with a turn was added later along side the spiral stair. The stairs lead to one large space, Room 309, which contains a bathroom, elevator shaft, and two one-over- one aluminum windows.

Originally 14 skylights, 10 on the east and 4 on the west, punctured the original gabled roof of the attic and illuminated the attic interior. (Figure 112, Appendix B). Now covered with roofing material on the exterior, the original openings can be read from the interior and several function as openings for roof access.

Attic spaces were finished as workrooms. A workman is shown in the east side of the attic, now Room 302, circa 1890.

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Interior Building Materials Rocklin granite, the material used on the exterior, was also used on the interior for the ground floor walls and the corner vaults directly below the front portico. Smooth plaster is used to finish the interior brick walls on the first and second floors of the building. On the ground floor, an original thin plaster parge coat was applied over the brick, though, at present, the brick is exposed on the eastern wing of the ground floor. Other areas of exposed interior brick, which were originally plastered are presently visible on the first and second floors. Rooms in the western half of the building have been covered by modern materials, such as raised flooring, dropped ceilings, and partition walls. These are typical features at the north, south, and east wings. On the first and ground floors, shallow barrel-vaulted ceilings with smooth plaster finishes are typical. Ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches are typical at the second floor and attic, in spaces as varied in finish and function as the ornamented Rooms 121 and 122 and the former attic workshops.

Windows are generally two-over-two double-hung sash, metal-framed on the first and ground floors and wood-framed on the second level. The metal-framed, double-hung sash are not operable and are reproductions that were installed as part of the 1973 campaign of building works. Most windows have angled embrasures on the interior but some are straight-sided; this occurs at the courtyard-facing windows on all floors, including the attic and in both levels of Rooms 121 and 122. Similarly, while most embrasures are arched at the top, some are flat- headed. Windows have cast iron casings that surround recessed openings, the depth of which varies throughout the building. At the first and ground floor, windows are equipped with triple- panel cast iron shutters that measure approximately 9½ feet high and fold against the embrasures. An original Mullett working drawing entitled Details of Cast Iron Shutters for Windows in First and Second Stories would indicate that all windows were intended to have shutters as part of the original design. Cast iron shutters were intended to provide both security and fire protection. Triple panel shutters are found in one room on the second floor, Room 213; these are wood reproductions that were installed in 1973.

Interior doors are generally paneled mahogany and have transom lights above. Alterations include bottom-vented panels on the second floor.

Flooring Flooring material varies throughout the building from stone in the ground floor to hardwood in the offices and concrete elsewhere. Stair treads are iron or granite. The black and white marble flooring that remains in Room 114 was used in other spaces as well and may still exist but is covered. The oak flooring in the museum spaces dates to 1973 though some drawings indicate wood flooring was in place in 1973, and was to be rehabilitated. Rooms 121 and 122 were

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originally laid with the black and white marble flooring as in Room 114. Before construction, it was noted that spaces were to be tiled in “alternate squares of American black and Italian white tile 12 inches square laid diagonally with a border of black marble.”51 Historical photographs reveal the presence of wood floorboards in varied spaces in the building, including the ground floor.

Cast iron was the metal of choice throughout the second half of the 19th century. In addition to exterior uses, exposed cast iron was used on building interiors, both structurally and ornamentally. The Old Mint is a remarkable example of the use of interior cast iron. Original cast iron features include: window and door casings triple-panel window shutters exterior doors columns baseboards tie bars and trusses transoms pilasters cornices staircases and all elements, such as balusters, newel posts, and stringers miscellaneous wall bolts posts and stanchions brackets protective corner plates on brick piers

Early photographs indicate that wainscoting was prevalent throughout the building. It is not known if the material of the chair rail was wood or cast iron.

Ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches are typical in the second floor offices.

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Fireplaces Original fireplaces of pink marble surrounds, and mantels with black marble trim and gray or white marble hearths remain in the spaces primarily used for offices on the first and second floor. The fireplaces have steel frames at the openings. Before construction, a newspaper account noted that, “the mantels and the hearths will be of the best quality of veined Italian marble.”52

At present, fireplaces remain in Rooms 104, 107, 108, 109, 110, 113, 209, and 213. Fireplaces have been removed from Rooms 114, 207, 208, 210, and 214. A small brick fireplace opening without mantel or hearth remains in the west wall of Room 117.

Light Fixtures Original to the Old Mint are a number of 6- and 12-globe hanging chandeliers with etched glass globes. Originally gas-operated, these fixtures are known as gasoliers. Many of those now present in the building are reproductions that date to 1973. Other single globes for interior and exterior that were produced in the early part of the 20th century are found throughout the building. (Figures 68, 118, Appendix B). In the ground floor corridor, suspended two-armed light fixtures, also known as “t-bone fixtures” line the main hall. Considered suitable for utilitarian spaces, they were first produced in the 1860s. Some of these fixtures are also 1970s reproductions. Other lighting includes directed spotlights mounted to wood picture rails in the former museum spaces installed in the 1970s and non-historic, wall- and ceiling-mounted fluorescents.

On the exterior of the building, a series of exterior bracket sconces, known as “torch and column” sconces, are mounted to the granite base around the building. (Figure 120, Appendix B). Some are missing globes and one fixture has been removed entirely at the northwest corner. Numerous examples of non-historic security lighting are mounted around the building, at the main entrance, and directed at the Jessie Street entrance door.

Hardware Particularly noteworthy in the Old Mint is the beautifully executed bronze door hardware. The raised seal of the U.S. Treasury appears on doorknobs; the grip of the knob itself is detailed with ridges as at the edge of a coin. The escutcheons are finely wrought and originally swung away to reveal keyholes. The Old Mint doorknob and escutcheon plates are called out in the book Metals in America’s Historic Buildings, which notes that the designs for both reflect the tastes and styles of the time by combining and Victorian motifs on the escutcheon plate and keyhole cover (Figure 122, Appendix B).53

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Paint Scheme Upon the Mint’s inauguration, the San Francisco Chronicle noted:

The grand feature was the chambers of the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. In these identical apartments the decorators and painters have been permitted to display their skill with a lavish hand. The ceilings extend to the top of the second floor and are frescoed with light blue, pink and gold. A gallery intended for visitors, entered from the second floor, extends around each chamber. Its cast iron railings are painted in scarlet and gold. A beautiful effect is created by thirty gilded pilasters that circle the rooms.54

This paint scheme was confirmed by limited, non-invasive, on-site investigation of the paint coatings. By 1964 the pilasters, railings, and other elements of Rooms 121 and 122 remained intact, but the paint scheme had “long since” been changed to white.55 Interior re-painting on a fairly regular basis as a maintenance treatment is consistent with information provided on historical drawings. More details are provided in the section that follows.

This view of the interior of the Mint depicts the bullion carts that were used to move currency around the building. Note the hanging gasolier fixtures.

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VII. CHRONOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT AND USE This section summarizes the physical construction, modification, and use of the Old Mint and includes information on major maintenance and rehabilitation campaigns, which have been fairly consistent throughout the life of the building. The information presented is based on historical documentation, including numerous architectural drawings and historical photographs, with corroboration from first-hand observation and limited non-invasive materials analysis. The chronology set forth below is not comprehensive, as maintenance records have not been located or examined, but it attempts to provide as much detail as possible regarding ongoing modifications in the Old Mint over the life of the building. Changes to the building for which chronological documentation is not available are noted and explained at the end of the chronology.

Chronology of Use Completed in 1874, the second San Francisco Mint soon became the nation’s most productive mint producing about $50 million of the total $83.9 million in gold and silver coins generated by the United States in 1877. From the outset the Mint served the diverse functions of foundry, fortress, and highly ornamented office space worthy of ceremonial public use. As an industrial and manufacturing facility, the building required durable surfaces, solid foundations, and operated its own carpentry and blacksmith shops. The building’s impressive granite construction and extensive use of cast iron as a building material gave the impression of a secure stronghold. Requirements for storage vaults appears to have grown over time as ground floor rooms along the main corridor were converted to steel-lined vaults after the building commenced use, the first installed in 1882. In 1937, upon the completion of the new San Francisco Mint on Hermann Street, near Market and Duboce Streets, the Old Mint lost its original intended use, but continued to provide office space to a range of federal agencies throughout the following decades.

For many years after the close of minting operations, the tradition of varied functions under one roof continued at the Old Mint. The building housed concurrent multi-purpose uses ranging from federal offices, laboratories, museum, and a pistol range for federal police, together with light industry at the ground floor, where there was a woodworking shop and machine shop until a late date. The Old Mint served as a museum from 1973 until 1994. During this period, federal offices were located in the building, with office use diminishing by the late 1990s.

The building has had two periods of vacancy, the first lasting only a short time at the end of the 1960s when the GSA disposed of it and its future was uncertain. The Old Mint is now in the midst of its second, longer period of vacancy.

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Building Development Chronology 1865 Mullett develops his earliest designs for the proposed Mint in San Francisco to replace the existing Assay Office. (See Appendix D).

1869 Construction of the Old Mint begins.

1870 Cornerstone laid containing a copper casket of coins, newspapers, and other mementos, 26 May. Over 6,000 people and numerous Masonic orders assemble to witness the “imposing” ceremony.56

1874 Construction completed.

1882 First steel-lined vault installed (now Room 19).

1898 Alterations to building to insert a hydraulic elevator into a new shaft created at Rooms 5, 105, and 205, requiring the removal of beams to form the elevator shaft and the enlargement of the cast iron door casing at Room 105. Concurrently, alterations proposed to the plumbing system throughout the building.57

1900 Elevator added at the rear near the secondary staircase in the northwest corner of the building, originally servicing all floors, with housing for mechanical equipment in the crawlspace of the attic (some equipment remains in the attic crawlspace).58

1901 New boiler added on the south side of the ground floor (now Room 27); installation of which includes the excavation of two pits with steps down to floors of brick laid in a herring bone pattern.

1906 In March, a few weeks before the earthquake, the building is equipped with a private water supply utilizing a well at the ground floor of the courtyard.59

1906 San Francisco earthquake 18 April. Building survives the earthquake and remains operable though damaged (Figures 29-32, Appendix A).

1907 Repair and replacement of damaged stone at elevations and cornice under James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect to the Treasury Department. Building alteration to add partition wall to the Office of the Melter and Refiner (now Room

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135). Cast iron shutters removed from Room 135.60 c. 1914 Open area at the ground floor level of the courtyard roofed over to house a new Engine Room and a new Sweeper’s Room.

1914 Electrical lighting and conduit installed, replacing gas lighting. 61 before 1914 Ground floor Rooms 8, 9, and 10 converted to vaults. after 1914 Ground floor Rooms 7, 22, and 26 converted to vaults, previously used as coal stores. c. 1925 Miscellaneous work to repair and straighten iron fence, add new iron post, and move curb in front of the main elevation. Work likely to relate to the installation of the cast iron lamp standards inside the fence at the northeast and southeast corners and at the top landing of the main stairs below the portico.

1928 Additional storage vault of two stories constructed in the ground floor, in the space at the base of the central courtyard previously occupied by the Engine Room and the Sweeper’s Room. Vault roofed with slate over composition roofing material. Two ground floor level windows converted to door openings; wood paneled doors with glazing installed.62

1928 In conjunction with the construction of the two-story storage vault at the ground floor, the hydraulic lift to all floors is modified. The opening at ground floor leads to a new hallway on axis with the newly formed door opening and the entrance to the vault. 63

1929 Proposal to create a visitors gallery by enclosing the upper level balconies at Rooms 121 and 122 with glazing and copper mesh panels, requiring the creation of two secondary staircases for access from the main first floor corridor to the second floor. Project not executed.64

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1931 A 1931 drawing indicates two 15,000 gallon tanks for well water on the north side of the roof near the courtyard opening and a hot water connection on the south side of the roof. Date of installation of tanks not certain but may date to 1931. Other plumbing modifications at this date.65 c.1931 A 1931 drawing indicates that the upper level of Stair 248 was altered to form storage for silver nitrate. The drawing information is consistent with replacement wall material in the south wall of Room 240 in the location of a former opening into the stairwell space. The alteration consisted of sealing the stair below the second floor, inserting a floor into the stairwell and creating and opening into Room 240.

1936 Cast iron lamp standards at the fence and at the top landing of the main stairs below the portico on the main elevation appear in photographs for the first time. Exact date of installation not known but may be related to work at fence in 1925.

1937 Minting activities transferred to the new San Francisco Mint, Hermann Street. Minting equipment subsequently removed. Loss of primary original function marks the end of the Period of Significance of the Old Mint.

1939 Principal use of the Old Mint becomes that of an office building under the auspices of the U.S. Treasury Department providing office space for the Bureau of Standards, the Geodetic Survey, the Bureau of Mines, and the Civil Service Commission.66 Other facilities within the building include laboratories, and ground floor workshops.

1945 New partitions and additional lighting.

1947 Painting and miscellaneous repairs.

1947 Modifications to conduit wire and lighting at all floors.

1948 Installation of fume hoods for the Physical Laboratory for the Bureau of Standards in Room 241 on the second floor at the rear of the building.

1949 Cornice protection.

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1949 New plumbing, gas, and electrical service for laboratory, second floor.

1949 Remodeling of the principal rooms on the first floor, Rooms 121 and 122, extent of work not known.

1951 Miscellaneous electrical repairs.

1951 Plumbing installations for the Bureau of Standards laboratory.

1954 Additional outlets and painting.

1959-60 Upgrading of storage space to labs, workshops, and offices for the NPS.67

1960 Miscellaneous roof work.

1961 Interior spaces converted and reorganized, including plumbing alterations and telephone upgrades.

1961 Old Mint designated a National Historic Landmark.68

1962 Old Mint documented by the Historic American Building Survey.

1965 Interior painting and miscellaneous alterations undertaken by the General Services Administration.

1965-66 Elements of original decayed sandstone cornices removed due to stone becoming unattached and subsequent concerns for public safety. Installation of concrete/metal cornices. Cornice replacement carried out by the GSA.

1968 Old Mint declared surplus by the federal government.

1971-72 Alterations executed by Construction Evaluators, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to prepare the building for a phased campaign of building operations under the direction of architect Walter Sontheimer, AIA to convert the building into a mixed-use facility shared between federal offices and a mint museum (See Section V Historical Overview for more detailed description).

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1972 Old Mint transferred from the Department of General Services to the U.S. Treasury Department on 5 April.

1972 Office modifications, such as the installations of raised floors, suspended ceilings, wall partitions and new light fixtures installed in most spaces at north, west, and south wings of the first and second floors.69 Both sets of rear service stairs were altered to include new linoleum over original finishes, insertion of a new top stair at the level of the inserted raised flooring, new handrails, and a large housing dropped into the southwest stairwell for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC).

1973 For the conversion to museum use, the safe vault doors opening off the ground floor corridor modified, re-painted. Not all are original to the building.70

1972-73 Restoration scheme by Walter Sontheimer, AIA, for the conversion of the eastern portions of the ground floor and first floors to the Old Mint Museum. Related concurrent work includes vault removal from the ground floor below the courtyard (existing foundation slab below vault not removed), the closure of the courtyard windows at the ground floor, removal of infill roofing over vault, and related sandstone repairs at courtyard. Walls of the original cistern remaining at south end of the courtyard, ground floor, partially filled in. Creation of the first floor interior courtyard, including the installation of a new steel and concrete floor slab with paving stones, and entailing the conversion of two first floor windows into doors (at Rooms 121 and 122). Courtyard planters and bench seating designed. Interior renovations and light fixture replication. Retaining walls at the ramped entrances on Mint Street altered. Iron fence railings repaired and replaced to match existing. Garden rehabilitation, including repair of the cast iron fountains and (unexecuted) plans for a future rose garden at both the east and south elevations.

1973 Old Mint Museum opens on 16 June.

1973-76 Campaign of exterior restoration with cleaning and repair or replacement of deteriorated sandstone facing and replacement of mortar. Repair to exterior granite base.

1975 Removal of concrete/metal cornices of 1965 and installation of new cornices and

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frieze sections cast in fiberglass by Western Art Stone Co. Inc.

1985 Improvement to fire systems and installation of smoke detectors by Kidde Automated Systems.

1988 Old Mint listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1989 Roof and flashing replacement.

1994 Treasury Department cites high maintenance costs and Old Mint Museum closes on 30 December. Building retains limited use as office space.

Undated Alterations Removal of the top 25 feet from each of the two brick chimneys at the rear was executed at an unknown date, at the early part of the 20th century. The removed portion of the chimney stack featured cast iron ornamentation, pedimented blind openings, balustraded balconies, and molding.

Mahogany counters with teller-type window openings removed from Rooms 121 and 122.

Construction date, removal date, and function of the shed-roofed addition at the north elevation are unknown. The addition appears in a photo dated 1936. (Figure 37, Appendix A).

Five brick chimneys above the south courtyard elevation and two above the north elevation are removed and capped.

Window opening at the ground floor on the south side (Mission Street) enlarged and widened to accommodate a ground floor door entrance on the south; this appears to be an early alteration.

Window opening at the ground floor on the north side (Jessie Street) enlarged and widened to accommodate a ground floor door entrance on the north; this appears to be an early alteration. The existing door with panic hardware on the interior is a recent replacement. Date of interior ramp to ground level is unknown.

Page 50 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Window opening at the ground floor on the north side (Jessie Street) enlarged and widened to accommodate door to Room 30, a mechanical room, which is accessed from the exterior. The date machinery was installed is not known, nor is the date that interior door openings were sealed with concrete masonry units.

Date of the removal of the original copper roof is unknown.

Date of the insertion of Rooms 215 and 216 into the north and south ends of the second floor corridor is unknown.

Date of the sandblasting of certain ground floor wall surfaces, front stairwells, and in Rooms 117, 127, 227, and 229 to reveal exposed brick wall below the original parge coat is unknown.

Over time, many door and window openings at the ground floor, especially around the perimeter of the former open courtyard, have been bricked up, some of these when the building was equipped with electricity in 1914, as the natural light provided by the courtyard lightwell was no longer a necessity. Masonry construction occurred in between brick piers at the ground floor to form infill walls and create cellular rooms, as at Rooms 22 and 26; these were early but undocumented alterations.

An additional, wood-framed staircase to the west attic is a later intervention of an unknown date.

Date of handrail at the front stairs is unknown.

Eastern part of the attic converted to use as a pistol range for the practice of the Federal Protective Service.

Dates of replacement of original windows with steel and new wood windows is unknown, though existing metal-framed windows probably date to the 1970s.

Two attic level windows in the east-facing interior courtyard replaced with one-over-one aluminum sash.

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Dates of most elevator installations and upgrades have not been tracked in this chronology. None of the elevators or toilet spaces retain original fabric. This is true for most mechanical, electrical, HVAC, toilet, and telephone upgrades, where only limited information has been included. See Section XII for more information on these systems.

Much of the original machinery that was in the Old Mint no longer remains within the building. Some items were transferred to the new Mint building.

Page 52 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

VIII. CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES AND SIGNIFICANCE RATINGS

This section lists and assigns significance ratings to the character-defining features and newer elements of the Old Mint. A character-defining feature is an aspect of a building’s design, construction, or detail that is representative of the building’s function, type, or architectural style. Generally, character-defining features include specific building systems, architectural ornament, construction details, massing, materials, craftsmanship, site characteristics, and landscaping within the period of significance. For an important historic resource to retain its significance, its character-defining features must be retained to the greatest extent possible. An understanding of a building’s character-defining features is a crucial step in developing a rehabilitation plan that incorporates an appropriate level of restoration, rehabilitation, maintenance, and protection.

This section identifies the similar character-defining features of the Old Mint. Floor plans marked to identify areas of hierarchical importance are a more standard tool for this exercise, but due to the complex nature of the interior of the Old Mint, significance ratings have been assigned to individual character-defining features and newer elements found throughout the building as a better method for understanding the importance of individual components. For instance, within many significant spaces there are a number of non-contributing individual elements. Conversely, within altered and modified spaces, there are 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. Further investigation will be required to determine the exact locations where historic fabric remains under more modern materials. Orientation plans illustrating how similar character-defining features are grouped are located at the end of this section. The character- defining features are grouped by the following areas of the building: exterior; courtyard; ground floor east area; ground floor work and industrial area (west); ground floor courtyard area; first and second floor double height area; first floor east and south area; first floor west and north area; second floor west area; second floor east area; attic area; and, site features.

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Methodology in Determining Significance Rating The building features have been grouped by location within the building, as explained in the above paragraph, and analyzed according to significance. Individual features have been identified as “very significant,” “significant,” “contributing,” or “non-contributing.”

“Very significant” features are the major components of a space or elevation that exemplify the essence of the building and the reason for its construction. These features must be retained to convey their intended use or original configuration, and are considered the most historically or architecturally important elements in the building.

“Significant” features are often ancillary or supportive of the very significant features that contribute to the understanding of the overall design. Alteration or removal of these features may be necessary for programmatic or building system requirements; however removal of these features should be minimized or mitigated.

“Contributing” features are original elements of the building, or very early modifications to the building, that are of lower importance relative to the understanding of the original design. Alteration or removal of these features, if necessary, would have a limited effect on the integrity of the building, however; removal should be minimized or mitigated wherever possible.

“Non-contributing” features are elements of the building that have been remodeled, and where additional alteration would not have an effect on the original integrity of the building. In some cases, removal of the non-contributing features can have a positive effect on the building’s overall integrity.

This view of Room 121 taken in the 1950s, shows a series of suspended fluorescent lighting fixtures which were replaced in the 1970s with chandeliers in keeping with the original character of the building. Other elements of the room are considered character-defining features, such as the corrugated ceiling, original balcony railings, cast iron pilasters and cornice, and molding .

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Character-Defining Features - Exterior free-standing building with four street-facing elevations very significant balanced and symmetrically composed façades with 2-story pilasters very significant Greek Revival architectural idiom very significant Roman Doric portico and entablature very significant six solid fluted sandstone columns at front very significant two brick chimneys at rear very significant massive granite base and belt course very significant regular courses of smooth-face ashlar sandstone blocks very significant two pitched center roof gables behind front and rear pediments very significant roof form, roof slightly sloping toward courtyard very significant main entrance doors very significant exterior double doors of cast iron, west elevation very significant projecting stone sills very significant mounted bracket sconces, torch and column-type light fixtures significant low chimney flues with profiled cast iron molding (one existing) contributing steel doors on the south elevation, early date contributing two-over-two, double-hung wood-framed sash windows contributing non-operable, single unit metal windows at the first and ground floors non-contributing cornice and parapet of replacement fiberglass units non-contributing two sets of service doors, west elevation non-contributing replacement steel doors on the north elevation non-contributing

Character-Defining Features – Courtyard overall proportion, massing, and openness of courtyard very significant four elevations of regular courses of smooth-face ashlar sandstone very significant gabled stone cornice very significant slightly projecting pedimented central wall section at east and west very significant rhythm of original window openings very significant two-story height with attic, an early alteration contributing two-over-two, double-hung, wood-framed sash windows contributing two door openings converted from windows non-contributing non-operable, single unit metal windows at the first floor non-contributing concrete slab flooring with pre-cast pavers and recessed uplighters non-contributing

Page 55 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior Ground Floor East Area wall surface of granite foundation blocks below the steps and portico very significant two granite corner vaults below portico with iron shims very significant original flooring of natural stone, granite (scored in places), concrete very significant cast iron, triple-panel interior window shutters very significant wall surfaces plastered with light parge coat very significant stone window sills very significant cast iron staircases, window and door casings, and columns very significant other cast iron elements: lintels, thresholds, baseboards, stanchions very significant brick vaulted ceilings, piers, and walls very significant brick piers and wrought iron beams very significant original light fixtures very significant barrel-vaulted ceilings with wrought iron beams very significant original exposed gas piping very significant steel-lined vaults very significant exposed brick walls, plaster removed very significant doors to steel vaults contributing pit at boiler contributing replicated barrel-vaulted ceiling the main corridor of the ground floor non-contributing utilitarian lighting and spotlights mounted to picture rail moldings non-contributing reproductions of original 2-arm light fixtures non-contributing two-over-two, metal-framed windows non-contributing display cases non-contributing interpretive materials, such as gold ore stamp mill in Room 7 non-contributing linoleum and roll vinyl flooring non-contributing fire doors at north and south ends of main corridor non-contributing brick wall infill over non-historic doors, at displays, in original openings non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing

Page 56 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior Ground Floor Work and Industrial Area (West) cast iron, triple-panel interior window shutters very significant brick piers and wrought iron beams very significant original granite flooring, scored in places very significant original concrete flooring very significant plaster barrel-vaulted ceilings very significant stone window sills very significant cast iron columns and door casings very significant cast iron staircases very significant other cast iron elements: lintels, thresholds, baseboards, stanchions very significant recessed wall surfaces marking location of main belt and guide pulley very significant embedded iron wheels related to belt and pulley machinery very significant cast iron, paneled double doors, west elevation very significant workmen’s graffiti in Room 21 dated “1874” very significant wall surfaces plastered with light parge coat significant interpretive materials, such as boiler and gates in Room 27 non-contributing partition walls non-contributing galvanized steel wall panels, measuring approximately 4 feet from floor non-contributing suspended ceilings non-contributing vinyl tile flooring non-contributing infill closets in halls non-contributing interior roll-down doors non-contributing fluorescent lighting non-contributing elevator shafts non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing

Page 57 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior Ground Floor Courtyard Area granite curb measuring approximately 4 feet in height very significant masonry walls very significant cistern walls very significant original window openings marking original courtyard perimeter significant original drains, four contributing brick infill in original window openings at perimeter non-contributing raised module flooring non-contributing dropped ceilings non-contributing fluorescent lighting non-contributing

Character-Defining Features – Interior First and Second Floor Double Height Area double-height rooms very significant second floor balcony and decorative railings very significant ceiling of shallow corrugated, galvanized iron arches very significant pairs of fluted cast iron pilasters above paneled iron pedestals very significant smooth finish plaster over brick between pilasters very significant cast iron frieze, moldings, cornices, capitals very significant cast iron window and door casings, baseboards very significant other cast iron ornament, rosettes, dentils, egg-and-dart motif very significant original vaults very significant original hardware, hinges, door knobs, escutcheon plate, keyholes very significant original bronze window pulleys very significant double mahogany doors significant patterned glazed panels in mahogany doors non-contributing replicated 12-armed pendant chandeliers with etched globes non-contributing multi-hued paint scheme non-contributing 2-inch oak strip flooring non-contributing directed spotlights non-contributing metal-framed windows on the west wall non-contributing first floor window shades non-contributing replicated hardware non-contributing

Page 58 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior First Floor East and South Area double-loaded, north-south running main corridor very significant east-facing offices off the main corridor very significant main vestibule and entrance doors very significant smooth barrel-vaulted ceilings very significant black and white marble flooring very significant diamond patterned stone flooring in the corridor very significant other original floor surfaces granite and concrete very significant original plaster wall finishes very significant original vaults very significant staircases and all elements, such as cast iron balusters, newel posts and stringers, and granite treads very significant mahogany handrails very significant multi-armed pendant chandeliers with globes, original very significant multi-armed pendant chandeliers with globes, reproduction non-contributing cast iron window and door casings very significant pink marble fireplaces with black marble trim and marble hearths very significant cast iron baseboards very significant workroom configurations very significant cast iron columns and wrought iron beams very significant original hardware, hinges, door knobs, escutcheon plate, keyholes very significant original bronze window hardware, sash locks, pulls, pulleys, chains very significant exposed brick wall surfaces in south wing very significant two-arm chandeliers in south wing, original very significant two-arm chandeliers in south wing, reproduction non-contributing paneled mahogany doors, door in Room 105 most original significant doors to courtyard off Room 104 non-contributing 2-inch oak strip flooring and carpeted floor finishes non-contributing spot lights, picture rail moldings non-contributing L-shaped display counters in “gift shop” non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing elevator shaft non-contributing replicated hardware non-contributing

Page 59 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior First Floor West and North Area ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches very significant masonry walls very significant original workroom spaces very significant intact window casings very significant intact interior doors and transoms very significant staircases with cast iron balusters, stringers very significant exposed brick walls very significant workroom configurations significant casework, shelving, and infill closets in halls non-contributing raised module flooring non-contributing dropped ceilings non-contributing demountable wall partitions non-contributing elevator shaft non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing fluorescent lighting non-contributing

Character-Defining Features – Interior Second Floor East Area double-loaded, north-south running main corridor very significant granite flooring at corridor, covered with carpet very significant staircases and all elements, such as cast iron balusters, newel posts, and stringers, and granite treads very significant pink marble fireplaces with black marble trim and marble hearths very significant ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches very significant masonry walls very significant cast iron stair to the attic with mahogany handrail very significant original hardware, hinges, door knobs, escutcheon plate, keyholes very significant decorative grille in ceilings very significant vented mahogany doors contributing suspended ceilings non-contributing cabinets and shelving non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing replicated hardware non-contributing

Page 60 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior Second Floor West Area ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches very significant masonry walls very significant original workroom spaces and configurations very significant intact window casings very significant intact interior doors and transoms very significant original pole for operating a transom mounted to door casing very significant staircases with cast iron balusters, stringers very significant exposed brick walls very significant circular masonry flue openings significant infill offices at ends of second floor main corridor non-contributing wall partitions non-contributing dropped ceilings non-contributing raised module flooring non-contributing casework, shelving and infill closets in halls non-contributing elevator shaft non-contributing fluorescent lighting non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing

Page 61 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Character-Defining Features – Interior Attic Area ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron arches very significant cast iron tie bars and trusses very significant east attic partitioned workrooms very significant original cast iron spiral stair very significant switchboard, dating to 1914 significant original divided lite transom significant skylight openings contributing two west-facing wood windows contributing original roof construction of wood sheathing over cast iron framing contributing crawlspace contributing practice firing range non-contributing west attic space non-contributing wood stair non-contributing two one-over-one, east-facing aluminum windows non-contributing elevator shaft non-contributing fluorescent lighting non-contributing toilet room features non-contributing

Character-Defining Features – Site Features lawns and gardens very significant cast iron railings above low granite curb at front very significant cast iron railings above low granite curb at south elevation very significant cast iron fountains in the front garden very significant multi-globe cast iron lamp standards significant

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IX. PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE

A building’s period of significance is defined as the span of time in which a property attains the significance for which it meets the National Register criteria. The years 1874 to 1937 mark the period of significance of the Old Mint.

The year 1874 is the completion date of the building’s construction and its inauguration. The year 1937 marks the date when it ceased to function as the primary U.S. Mint in San Francisco, when it was superceded by the construction of a new U.S. Mint. Nationally significant, not only for its architecture, but also for its role in government and economics, the Old Mint played a pivotal role in the financial and economic history of the United States during a 63-year period, from 1874 until 1937.

In the previous section, significance ratings were assigned to individual character-defining features and newer elements found throughout the building as a method for understanding the relative importance of individual components. As previously explained, within many significant spaces there are a number of non-contributing individual elements. Conversely, within altered and modified spaces, there are elements of historical importance. In general and throughout all spaces of the Old Mint, original features and alterations that date to the period of significance should be retained. Alterations that fall after the period of significance could be modified.

The period of significance for the Old Mint extends to 1937, just one year after this photograph was taken for the Historic American Building Survey.

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X. EVALUATION OF BUILDING INTEGRITY

Evaluation of Integrity The National Register of Historic Places Bulletin 15 standards and criteria were used to evaluate the integrity of the Old Mint.71 Bulletin 15 defines integrity as the ability of a property to convey its significance. Integrity is the authenticity of a historic resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance. Integrity involves several aspects, including location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. To retain historic integrity, a property will always possess several, and usually most, of the aspects.

As the building’s use has changed over time and occupants of different government agencies have come and gone, machinery and furnishings that indicate functions have been removed. Minting equipment was transferred out of the building in the late 1930s, upon completion of the third U.S. Mint in San Francisco. In general, the changes that occurred on the interior have been additive in nature, not characterized by the removal of material that permanently eliminates historic fabric as much as by layers of later interventions that hide building fabric. To a large degree, room configurations and original circulation have been retained. Restoration has occurred in the eastern or front half of the building. New materials have been installed in the western or rear half of the building. The removal of non-historic newer materials would have a positive effect. The Old Mint retains a high degree of integrity.

Location Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. The Old Mint remains in its original footprint at the northwest corner of 5th and Mission Streets. The four street-facing sides of the building on Mint Alley, and Jessie, 5th and Mission Streets remain intact and convey their original expression. Though downtown San Francisco has grown up around the building, the structure remains unaffected by changes outside of the building envelope, and still exemplifies Mullett’s design tenet that “all government buildings be isolated by wide streets or open spaces” as a measure of protection.72

Design Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. The original design as conceived by Mullet for a monumental scale coupled with the pared-down simplicity typical of the Greek Revival aesthetic is intact. The Old Mint retains all the key elements of the original design, such as the structure’s expression, proportions, massing, architectural vocabulary, circulation through and around the building, and architectural elements.

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Though a major element, the cornice, was removed in 1965, a replica of the original was installed to correct an unsafe condition. The building design has not been affected by any additions to the exterior envelope.

Setting Setting is the physical environment of a historic property, constituting topographic features, vegetation, manmade features, and relationships between buildings or open space. The Old Mint remains in a very urban and busy downtown setting. At the building front, an original element, the lawn and garden surrounded by wrought iron fence and railings, remains. Cast iron fountains in the front garden are original. The multi-globe cast iron lamp standards at the front stair and along the fence were added circa 1920s. Though not in the same architectural vocabulary as other site features, they do not detract from the building’s integrity. The original setting of the building was destroyed by the 1906 fire. The building is currently set amidst a collection of buildings dating from just after the fire to the mid 1990s.

Materials Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. It was the intent of the original architect to construct the Old Mint with materials of the highest quality. Exterior building materials are original and include Rocklin granite, sandstone, and brick chimneys. Granite was also used on the interior for the ground floor walls, flooring, and the corner vaults directly below the front portico. Original interior finishes and materials include plaster, vaulted ceilings of corrugated galvanized iron and plaster, original light fixtures, and bronze door hardware. In addition to exterior uses, exposed cast iron was used on the building interior, both structurally and ornamentally. The Old Mint is a remarkable example of the use of interior cast iron. The building retains a high degree of original materials.

Workmanship Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture, people, or artisan during any given period in history or pre-history. The original construction epitomizes late 19th century “fire-proof” building technologies, construction techniques, and noteworthy craftsmanship. Further the use of interior cast iron decorative elements contributes to the buildings high degree of workmanship.

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Feeling Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historical sense of a particular period of time. The Greek Revival Old Mint is often cited as “the last major example of classical revival architecture” in America. Due to an intact setting and lack of additions, the building retains its original feeling.

Association Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. Nationally significant, not only for its architecture, but also for its role in government and economics, the Old Mint played a pivotal role in the financial and economic history of the United States during a 63-year period, from 1874 until 1937. In addition, it is associated with the architect Alfred Bult Mullett (1834-1890) one of the most prolific, influential, and controversial architects working for the U.S. Government during the second half of the 19th century. As Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1866 to 1874, Mullett exerted a huge influence over public building design during a period of prosperity and political stability. The building continues to convey its links to these important associations.

Many interior spaces retain a high degree of integrity.

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XI. CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conditions Introduction The Old Mint, situated in a dense urban environment and subjected to over 125 years of weathering, continues to stand as an example of monumental construction and unified architectural design. Constructed of materials expected to last indefinitely, the stone exterior façades display conditions, such as erosion, spalling, and soiling. In general, the deterioration of the load-bearing masonry walls has not compromised the structural integrity of the building. The waterproofing ability of the exterior, on the other hand, has been greatly impacted and the rate of deterioration is in danger of increasing. Although frost is rare and the Old Mint has not been exposed to the damaging results of freeze-thaw cycles, other deleterious effects of water and airborne pollutants have resulted in the deterioration of the stone masonry. The south and west elevation receive more wind and sun exposure than the other façades. Consequently, there is more erosion of the stone on these elevations. The large expanses of the relatively flat roof are also suffering from weathering and are beginning to show signs of failure.

The interior of the Old Mint has been well maintained over its life, even during the years when the building stood vacant, and is in relatively good condition. Some portions of the building have benefited from sensitive restoration work that has attempted to conserve many of the original materials and systems. Other areas of the building, converted to various uses and remodeled according to changing fashions and methods of construction, still retain many original features although often covered or altered.

Building System Conditions Foundations The foundation below the granite ground floor walls at the building perimeter and the brick interior partition walls is unreinforced concrete with brick in-fill below portions of the flooring and walls. A section of the foundation is visible in Room 27 where a pit had been previously excavated for the installation of a boiler. The concrete foundation underneath the west end of the building is a single continuous footing approximately 252 feet long by 40 feet wide. The condition of the concrete foundations has not been investigated as part of this study.

Roof System The existing roof system consists of the original wrought iron beams forming the roof framing covered by wood sheathing into which is nailed the composition shingle and mineral cap sheet roofing membrane. The skylights in the original roof at the sloping surfaces of the gables have been covered or turned into hatches for roof access. Light gray composition shingles are used at

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the east and west gable roofs, and matching mineral cap sheet is used on the remaining flatter roof sections. The flashing at the inboard parapet on the building perimeter and at the gutter encircling the roof line at the courtyard is sheet copper. The gutter lining at the courtyard cornice is also sheet copper. There are four internal drains leading from the gutter at the courtyard. (Figure 83, Appendix B). The existing roof membrane and flashing were installed in 1989.

The roof and roof flashing are in poor condition and appear to be nearing the end of their useful life span. Typical conditions noted at the roof include blistering of the roof membrane, ponding of water on top of and below the mineral cap sheets, tearing and disfigurement of the copper flashing and counterflashing, deteriorated sealant joints at the counterflashing, and open seams at the gutter lining. Standing water was noted in the gutter, indicating drain blockage.

Recommendations: Complete replacement of the roofing membrane, flashing, and sheet metal gutter lining is recommended. During replacement of the membrane, some repair or replacement of the roof sheathing may also be necessary. The internal drains should be inspected and repaired as necessary during the roofing work.

Chimneys and Other Roof Features The two soaring brick chimneys on the west elevation impart an imposing character to the roofline of the Old Mint and are a very significant feature of the roof. These square chimneys rise from the sloping roofs of the west gable. In addition to the two large chimneys, there currently exist several smaller chimneys dating from the original construction at the east gable roof and at the north and south ends of the courtyard and other roof equipment related to the insertion of later HVAC systems.

The two massive chimneys on the west side of the building retain most of their original brickwork, although new brick has been installed at some areas. There are some open joints, especially at the head joints, and cracking through the brick. Although the decorative cast iron ornament and top 25 feet of the chimneys has been removed, the metal cornice that remains at the top of the chimneys appears to be in good condition. The smaller brick chimneys, although partially intact, have been covered with various materials intended to protect them. One of the chimneys retains what appears to be an original cast iron cornice, although it has been covered with tar. Some of the chimneys have mastic and tar over the brickwork and roofing cap sheeting covers some roof features. The mechanical equipment on the roof is in various states of disrepair; it is not known what equipment is still functioning.

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Recommendations: Brick repair, including repointing, crack repair, and selective brick replacement is recommended at the large chimneys. The metal cornice should be cleaned and coated. The other chimneys should be made watertight.

For the purposes of this report, a structural assessment of the rear chimneys has not been undertaken to determine their condition. See Section XII for further discussion of the chimneys .

Exterior Walls The exterior walls of the Old Mint are comprised of a granite base at the ground floor with sandstone masonry used above this monumental plinth. The hammer dressed granite blocks are laid in regular courses, typically 24 inches high, with a carved belt course between the ground and first floors. The granite used in the construction of the Old Mint is from Penryn Quarries in Rocklin in Placer County. Granite was first quarried in Rocklin in 1863 and stone from that area was used in the construction of several monumental buildings in northern California, including the State Capitol in Sacramento and the Crocker Building in downtown San Francisco. Placer County became the principal granite-producing area in the Sacramento Valley in the 19th century.73 The sandstone masonry at the first, second, and attic levels is composed of 12-inch thick smooth-face ashlar blocks laid in a regular coursing pattern. The exterior walls of the courtyard are also faced with sandstone ashlar blocks. Trim and decorative pieces, such as the window sills and Doric entablature were fabricated out of the same sandstone. The buff colored sandstone is from the Newcastle Island Quarry near Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Sandstone from this area was used as dimension stone for building in San Francisco prior to construction of the Old Mint. The buff and yellow colors of the sandstone are caused by iron inclusions in the stone.

The four exterior elevations display a range of stone deterioration conditions, including erosion, exfoliation, spalling, cracking, and open mortar joints. At the sandstone masonry, particularly on the south and west street façades and the courtyard elevations, erosion and exfoliation is typical at the arrises of the ashlar units, at the projecting window sills, at the pilaster and column plinths, tori, and capitals, and at the triglyphs and guttae of the entablature. (Figure 55, Appendix B). Although less pervasive, spalling and cracking in the sandstone and granite masonry is also present to some extent on all elevations. Some spalling is so severe that the stone anchors are exposed. Severe erosion and spalling are most dramatic at the sandstone of the second floor and existing cornice in the courtyard. (Figure 56, Appendix B). There are isolated instances of cracking in ashlar granite and sandstone units, as well as in lintel stone units at window openings. The last time that the exterior walls were repointed was most likely 25 to 30 years ago. Overall, many of the mortar joints appear to be sound, although there are open or deteriorated mortar

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joints on each elevation, with up to 20% of the joints requiring repointing on the south and west elevations.

Soiling and staining of the masonry is also a typical condition. Atmospheric pollution has resulted in moderate to heavy soiling of the granite base and moderate soiling of the sandstone masonry. There is also biological growth at the granite water table on the south and east elevations. Staining from iron corrosion and bird guano is found at several localized areas. The most obvious areas of iron staining are on the south column at the entrance portico and below several windows on the north elevation. Another surface staining condition is caused by the application of a bird repellent gel, commonly called “hot foot,” at the sandstone window sills and granite belt course ledges. This material accumulates soot and other soiling resulting in an unsightly build-up of black mass.

Masonry repairs and cleaning have been performed at several points in the building’s history in an effort to remedy or slow down the effects of stone deterioration. The last major stone repair campaign was undertaken in the 1973 to 1976 exterior restoration program. The following stone treatments were performed as part of this work: complete replacement of the cornice on the street façades; complete and partial replacement of the faces of individual stones; retooling of eroded, exfoliated, and spalled surfaces of stone; patching of holes and previous repairs; application of a sealer to the remaining courtyard façade cornice and window sills; repointing of all masonry; and cleaning of all masonry.74 New sandstone was used to repair areas of severe deterioration; patching with a modified cementitious mortar was used at areas of minor damage. Some of the classical ornamentation of the building, including metope and guttae units at the architrave, were recreated by filling molds with a custom formulated patching compound to create a cast unit that could be installed on the building like stone.75 For the most part the replacement, refacing, retooling, patching, and repointing work remains intact; however, some of the repairs have begun to fail, and there is continued erosion at the retooled units. In addition, at several locations, particularly at the courtyard elevations, the previous patching repairs are causing accelerated deterioration of surrounding stone units due to the presence of salts and incompatible materials in the patching mortar. Aesthetically, some of the Dutchman and patching repairs no longer blend in with the adjacent stone due to differential soiling.

Recommendations: Considerable stone restoration work is recommended to improve the waterproofing integrity and appearance of the exterior walls. Dutchman repairs, patching, crack repairs, and retooling should be performed in deteriorated stone units. Some of this work would be at locations previously repaired and some would be at conditions that have not yet been treated. Selected repointing is also recommended. Cleaning of all of the masonry to

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remove atmospheric soiling, biological growth, iron staining, bird repellent, and other staining would be carried out as part of the stone restoration work.

Cornice and Parapet The existing cornice and parapet on the street elevations of the Old Mint are made up of fiberglass units installed in 1976. This cornice was fabricated in molds to match the profile of the original sandstone cornice. The original stone cornice had previously been removed in 1965 and 1966. At that time, the original sandstone cornice had deteriorated to the point where the GSA determined that the cornice presented a hazard to public safety. On some elevations, the cornice was replaced with a concrete and metal cornice; in other sections, the sandstone was tooled to the same vertical plane as the rest of the façade and left exposed. The justification for using a modern material to replicate the original stone cornice was the overall stability of the fiberglass compared to stone and its light weight. The interior shell of the fiberglass units was lined with a mixture of chopped glass and polyester resin and steel reinforcing bars were built into the units. Aggregate collected from crushing the stone removed from the cornice and other areas of the building was applied to the surface of the new fiberglass units to mimic the appearance of the original stonework.76

Although the exterior shell of the replacement cornice appears soiled but sound when viewed from the ground, spalling and cracking on the top surface is evident when inspected from the roof. This spalling is due to corrosion of the armature or attachment metalwork inside the cornice. The spalling is a waterproofing problem that may allow further deterioration, but more importantly it is an indirect consequence of what may be a more extensive condition that is currently not visible.

The cornice at the courtyard consists of the original sandstone material. It is severely deteriorated, with large sections of material missing and loss of detail due to erosion and spalling. The lower corners of both the east- and west-facing pediments retain the most detail, perhaps due to the installation of metal channels at the top of the cornice to divert water away from the vertical face of the stone and into the roof gutter.

Recommendations: More comprehensive investigation of the cornices is recommended prior to determining the extent of repair at the street façade and courtyard elevation sections. At the replacement cornice on the street façades, probes at several locations are recommended to determine the extent of deterioration at the armature and attachments and whether repair is feasible. A structural assessment of the cornice in the courtyard is recommended. If possible, it is strongly desirable to preserve the remaining section of original cornice, with waterproofing and structural repairs made as necessary.

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Interior Walls Most of the original interior walls in the Old Mint are constructed of brick several wythes thick set in a common bond pattern. In some rooms, especially in the east wing of the building, the original plaster finishes, identified by the presence of animal hair amendments, are still intact over the brick walls. In other areas, such as in the ground floor, the plaster and other finishes have been removed using an abrasive method that has stripped away the protective fire skin of the brick and left the surface pitted. Traces of these finishes are still in place behind door casings, pipes, corner bollards, and other features attached to the brick walls. Some of the brick partitions between rooms date to later alteration campaigns. The color and appearance of the brick is slightly different than the original brick and in some cases the coursing of the brickwork in these non-original walls is different. At the east end of the ground floor, the granite blocks forming the foundation below the steps and landing at the main entrance to the building is exposed and is used as the interior wall surface rather than brick. There are also original granite interior wall surfaces in the ground floor Room 56, although these surfaces were originally exterior.

The interior walls, both where the original finishes are intact and where the brick has been exposed, are in good condition overall. Where the original plaster finish remains, it is sound with only small holes requiring patching. There is evidence of water infiltration at several locations causing extensive damage to interior finishes, including a section of the west wall on the second floor of Room 122. The mortar in the masonry joints at the exposed brick and granite walls are in good condition overall although there are some open joints. Cracking through several courses of brick was observed in Room 117 and in the attic space underneath the west gable. The granite stone in Room 56 is painted but appears to be sound.

Recommendations: Repointing of selected areas is required at the interior granite and brick mortar joints. The replacement mortar should match the physical properties, color, and texture of the existing mortar. Cracking in the brick should also be repaired using patching mortar or stitching together cracked units. The original plaster finishes should be retained, with holes and spalls in the plaster patched as necessary. The paint coatings should be removed from the granite wall surfaces in Room 56 by gentle means that will not damage the masonry.

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Materials and Features Conditions Cast Iron Cast iron was the metal of choice throughout the second half of the 19th century. In addition to exterior uses, exposed cast iron was used on building interiors, both structurally and ornamentally. The Old Mint is a remarkable example of the use of interior cast iron, as is another building designed by Mullett, the Old Executive Office Building in Washington D.C.77

Painted cast iron is used to form window and door casings, window shutters, exterior doors, transom lights, baseboards, tie bars and trusses, columns, pilasters and panels, cornices, staircases, balusters, newel posts, and posts and stanchions. On the building exterior, ornamental cast iron also appears as a landscape feature and is used in the fence and railings, original fountains with statuary, and lamp standards; some of which has been repaired, replicated or replaced during various campaigns of building works.

The cast iron elements are all currently painted. In Rooms 121 and 122, the existing paint scheme relates very closely to the original paint colors as determined by historical documentation and limited on-site probing to reveal the paint stratigraphy. Metallic powder applied to simulate a gold leaf finish is found as the earliest layer to accent the detailing of the off-white cast iron pilasters. In other areas of the restored east section of the ground floor, first, and second floors, the cast iron window and door casings and trim have numerous layers of paint, implying that the painting campaigns were typically carried out without removing the existing coatings. The existing white color of much of the cast iron trim is similar to the earliest layers of finish paint on these same elements. In subsequent color schemes, the cast iron trim was painted yellow, gray, and pale blue.

Most of the cast iron found on the interior and exterior of the Old Mint is in good condition. Minor corrosion is typical at areas where the paint coatings have failed or where waterproofing deficiencies have allowed moisture infiltration. In some cases, the corrosion has resulted in pitting and scarring of the metal surface. A less common condition is the cracking or fracturing of cast iron elements. There are also areas where the original cast iron elements are missing due to building alterations. In some cases, missing cast iron elements have been replicated in other materials such as wood.

Recommendations: Application of new paint coatings to the cast iron ornamental and structural elements is recommended as a conservation treatment. At areas of localized minor corrosion, the paint coatings should be completely removed and the metal treated to prevent further corrosion prior to repainting. At areas of severe corrosion, where the cast iron is

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scarred or there is loss of material, removal of the existing paint coatings to bare metal and surface preparation prior to repainting is recommended for the complete element. Cracks and holes in the cast iron should be filled with a metal filler prior to recoating. A comprehensive analysis of the paint finishes on the cast iron trim and elements should be undertaken prior to repair work.

Ceilings Throughout the building the original ceilings were constructed as shallow vaulted ceilings spanning between wrought iron beams, although a variety of materials were used in different parts of the building. In the first and ground floors, the vaults are constructed of brick and concrete. The masonry and concrete was originally plastered and painted, although some of the brick vaults are currently exposed in the east wing of the building. At the second and attic floors, painted corrugated steel is used to make the vaulted ceiling.

Although the vaulted ceilings have been covered with dropped ceilings in many areas of the building, the original ceilings are still intact in most rooms. Penetrations and cutting away of the ceiling have occurred in some areas to accommodate the lower ceilings and mechanical equipment. The original vaulted ceilings in the east section of the building, repaired during the 1972-1973 restoration work, are completely visible and are in good condition. There is minor deterioration, including cracking and peeling of paint coatings and localized corrosion, at these exposed sections.

Recommendations: Repair to the original vaulted ceilings is recommended. The exposed sections should remain visible with repairs carried out to fully restore them. These repairs include repainting with additional preparation prior to repainting required at areas of corrosion. Where feasible, the sections of ceiling currently hidden should be uncovered and patching and coating repairs made to restore the brick, concrete, and corrugated steel vaulted ceilings.

Floors Similar to the ceilings, a variety of materials were used to finish the original floors. Granite and marble, concrete, wood and possibly other materials were used for flooring in different parts of the Old Mint building. Granite blocks were used for paving portions of the ground floor and corridors floors at the upper levels. Most of this flooring is visible in the first and ground floor corridors and while soiled it is in good condition; the granite flooring at the second floor corridor is covered with carpet. Square tiles of black and white marble, set diagonally to the room walls, were used in several rooms, although this treatment only remains visible in one room on the first floor, Room 114. The marble floor in this room is in poor condition, much of it having been patched with

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concrete and the rest of it chipped and soiled. Most of the original floor materials in the other areas of the building are now covered with other finish materials such as carpet and computer tile, including some of the rooms where new hardwood flooring was installed in the 1972-73 restoration.

Recommendations: Restoration and cleaning of the granite floors in the ground floor and corridors of the upper floors is recommended. Minimal repairs are required to restore the granite and even out the surface for disabled access, although it may be desirable to replace the sections of flooring that have been patched with concrete with matching granite. More extensive repair with some replacement in kind is recommended to restore the existing marble flooring. The other floors, including the original concrete floors should be exposed where feasible. Carpets should be removed from the hardwood floors in the east wing of the first floor and repaired where necessary.

Windows The windows throughout appear to be two-over-two sash windows, generally metal-framed on the first and ground floors and wood-framed on the second floor. Several different types of windows indicate that window replacement has occurred at various times. Historical documentation and drawings reviewed to date do not explain the varying generations of windows, though the single unit non-operable metal windows appear to be reproductions dating to the 1973 campaign of building works and rehabilitation, possibly fabricated to emulate the original two-over-two, double- hung sash. Original Mullett working drawings entitled Details of Cast and Wrought Iron Work of Doors and Windows and Full Size Detail of Cast Iron and Wrought Iron Work of Doors and Windows may indicate that metal-framed, double-hung sash windows were part of the original construction at all levels. This would be consistent with the original use of materials for fire- proofing and for security. It appears that none of the windows currently present in the building are the original windows.

Most of the first and ground floor windows are modern steel units fabricated to match the configuration and approximate dimensions of the original double-hung windows; however, these replacement windows are non-operable. They are made of extruded steel sections welded together. The glazing stops are screwed on quarter round sections of aluminum. There are only two layers of paint on many of these windows, a red primer layer and the finish color, indicating a relatively recent date for the installation of the windows. The interior surface of the sash and frame of many of the steel windows has a faux bois finish to simulate wood. The exterior of the window sash and frames is painted blue-gray.

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The wood-frame and sash windows on the second floor and portions of the first and ground floors are most likely replacement windows. Exact dates of window refurbishments and replacements are not entirely clear, though one unsigned drawing entitled Detail Section Through New Exterior Window Sash dated March 1923, indicates the presence of wood windows by that time. There are at least two generations of replacement wood windows. The earlier wood window, based on on-site investigation of interior and exterior paint layers, is a simple two-over-two, double-hung window. The exterior surface of the sash of these windows has at least three layers of blue-gray paint and an earlier darker finish paint color. A later wood window type is also a two-over-two, double-hung window but has decorative ogee lugs at the bottom corners of the upper sash. The sash of these windows has only two layers of paint on the exterior surfaces.

From the exterior, the windows are set into the sandstone about 10 inches and have slightly projecting sills. On the interior, the depth of the recessed window openings varies throughout the building. The windows at the ground floor are the same width as the windows at the upper floors but are shorter in height.

Recommendations: A program of window rehabilitation and partial replacement is recommended for the steel and wood windows in the Old Mint. There is minor corrosion at some of the windows but overall the steel windows are in fair to good condition and can be restored. The condition of the wood windows varies. In general, the wood windows are in poor to fair condition with some windows deteriorated to such an extent that replacement is necessary. Replacement in kind, with wood windows, is recommended.

Shutters At the first and ground floors, windows are equipped with triple-panel, cast iron interior shutters, which measure approximately 9½ feet high and fold against the embrasures. As part of the original design, all windows were equipped with shutters, which were intended to provide both security and fire protection at the lower floors. The original shutters have a wrought iron backing plate to which is attached a cast iron angle at the edge of each panel. Plaster approximately 7/8 inch thick is built up between the edge angles from the wrought iron plate. Sections of cast iron molding profile are attached to the exterior-facing side of the shutter. The triple-panel wood shutters found in one room on the second floor, Room 213, are reproductions that were installed as part of the 1973 campaign of building works.

Inspection of the cast iron shutters indicates that refurbishment of those in the museum spaces was part of the 1973 works. It is likely that the shutters were not removed for refurbishment but were stripped and repaired in place. However, the entire shutter was not treated because the

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plaster in the center panel has many more cracks and spalls and retains many more paint layers than the two end panels, which were stripped, repaired, and refinished. The untreated panels have several layers of paint including an early tan finish layer, a later black layer, and in some cases a final orange-tan finish layer. The applied molding at these panels has a gold-colored metallic powder finish as the earliest layer, followed by yellow and tan paint coatings. The refurbished panels of the shutters have fewer paint colors but the existing color scheme corresponds to the historic appearance, including the final gold-colored coating on the molding.

The original shutters that were repaired during the 1973 Mint Reactivation are in good condition. Many of the other original shutters are in poor to fair condition. Rectangular openings approximately 6 inches by 12 inches have been cut into some of the shutters to accommodate electronic equipment at the window jambs. There is also loss of plaster and separation of plaster from the cast iron angles at the edges of the shutters.

Recommendations: A comprehensive refurbishment of the window shutters is needed. This includes patching of plaster where there are cracks, spalls, and other holes; preparation of iron to remove corrosion; repainting of plaster and iron shutter elements; and restoration of shutter hardware.

Hardware The existing door, window, and shutter hardware at the Old Mint is a mixture of restored original hardware, replicated pieces, and new replacement items. In the east wing, the door hardware includes bronze hinges, escutcheons, door knobs, and key holes. Where replaced during the 1973 work, the door hardware was replicated to match the original hardware, which is still in place at some locations. Although most of the door hardware is in good condition, there are some missing pieces. The window hardware, including sash locks, pulls, and weight chains, is also in good condition with missing elements being the primary deficiency. Most of the window hardware is also bronze. The shutter hardware is for the most part inoperable due to corrosion and multiple layers of paint. Interior transom windows had two types of locking mechanisms, bottom or top locks. Only one example of an original pole for operating a transom remains in the building, mounted to the west side of the door opening between Rooms 217 and 227.

Recommendations: Restoration of the existing original and replicated hardware is recommended. At the doors and windows, this entails cleaning and minor repair to make operable. At the shutters, removal of the existing coatings, preparation for painting, and repainting is necessary to make the hardware operable. New replacement hardware should be installed where missing.

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Doors and Transoms There are five sets of exterior doors into the Old Mint. The main doors on the east elevation are in poor condition, with corrosion and disfigurement of the metal doors allowing water, debris, and other material to infiltrate the building. The large steel doors on the south elevation and the single leaf steel door on the north elevation are in similar condition. On the west elevation, the two sets of service doors on either side of the central pavilion are also in poor condition, exhibiting corrosion and displacement. (Figures 81, 121, Appendix B).

In contrast to the exterior doors, the original and restored doors on the interior are in relatively good condition. In the east wing of the building, most of the existing doors are mahogany panel doors. Many of these doors are replacement doors dating to the 1973 restoration work.

Many of the interior doors have transoms. At the wood doors in the east wing of the building, the transoms are wood with a single pane of glass. All of these transoms appear to be replacements. At the doors leading into the first floor vault spaces, and at other locations in the building, the transom sash is cast iron, and there is a solid panel instead of a glass light.

Recommendations: The exterior doors are no longer watertight and are severely deteriorated. The main entrance doors on the east elevation are original and should be restored to provide a secure, watertight system. The cast iron doors on the west elevation are probably not original but are an early alteration. These doors should also be restored. The other exterior doors in the building should be replaced with new doors. Many of the original and restored doors and transoms on the interior can be repaired with minor wood and metal work.

Stairs and Ramps On the exterior, there is one set of monumental steps leading from the street level to the main entrance on the east elevation. These granite steps are in good condition. There are some open joints between the stone units, but the stonework is otherwise sound. The landing underneath the portico at the top of the steps is also granite and is heavily soiled.

The original interior stairs all have cast iron stringers, risers, and balustrades. These include two sets of stairs rising from the ground floor to the second floor on the east elevation, two smaller sets of stairs connecting the ground floor to the second floor on the west elevation, a stair leading from the second floor to the attic space under the eastern gable, and a spiral staircase from the second floor to the western portion of the attic. The stairs between the main floors on the east

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elevation have granite treads. The western stairs have been modified to accommodate changes in floor height. There is also a more recent stair leading to the attic on the west side of the building adjacent to the spiral stair. The cast iron and stone portions of the original stairs are in good condition. There are multiple layers of built-up paint coatings, especially on the balusters, which hide some of the detail of the cast iron work and may conceal minor deterioration.

A non-historic ramp is located at the north end of the main corridor on the ground floor.

Recommendations: The exterior stone steps should be cleaned and repointed as part of the exterior stone restoration work. Cleaning and minor repair of the interior cast iron stairs is recommended.

Miscellaneous Building Features A significant feature in the Old Mint building are the vaults on the ground and first floors. None of the vaults on the ground floor are original to the building, but they relate directly to the expansion of the Old Mint, and all date to the period of significance. The first metal-lined vault was added in 1882 in Room 19. Several of the ground floor vaults retain the original doors, all propped open to reveal the fine metal detailing and decorative painting. One of the vault doors is a replica added during the 1973 restoration.

The construction technique, later replicated in Rooms 8 and 9, consists of the insertion of alternating layers of steel and iron plate over the masonry walls, windows, ceilings, and floors for additional security. This metal lining, a sandwich of alternating layers of iron and steel manufactured by Jones and Laughlins, still appears to be as secure and sound as when it was installed, despite having later openings made to accommodate services. When the metal lining was inserted over the windows, the original cast iron shutters were left in place, in the closed position, and are visible from the exterior of the building. Rooms 7, 10, 22 and 26 were converted to vaults after 1914 and are not metal-lined. The first floor vaults, adjacent to the two-story height office spaces, are not all currently accessible. In Room 10, the window openings were bricked in with the cast iron shutters in place and they are also visible form the exterior. The decorative painting on the doors and transoms leading to the vaults is of the same detail as the ground floor vaults. Most of the features of the vaults are in good condition, having been restored 30 years ago. Graffiti, mostly dating to the museum period, is scratched into the metal walls.

Another significant item found throughout the spaces used primarily for offices on the first and second floors are the stone fireplaces. These original fireplaces are all of similar construction, having veined pink and solid black marble surrounds and mantels, a white marble outer hearth,

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and steel fire frames at the openings. The fire frames may date to the time when the fireplaces were converted to gas. In general, the fireplaces are in good condition, although there is some cracking in the stonework and metal elements at some of the fireplaces.

The brass light fixtures, found primarily in the east wing of the building, are original gas fixtures converted to electrical operation, electrical fixtures dating to 1914 when the entire building was electrified, and replica fixtures fabricated to match the original light fixtures during the 1973 restoration campaign. Most of the light fixtures are in good condition, although there are broken or missing glass shades at several fixtures and some tarnishing of the brass at others.

Another feature of the Old Mint is the courtyard floor at the first floor. This surface, installed in 1973, is made of pre-cast panels set in a diagonal pattern. Round light fixtures, flush with the floor surface, line the perimeter.

Recommendations: The vault features, fireplaces, and light fixtures are significant elements of the building’s design that contribute to an understanding of the Old Mint’s use and history. These features are all in good condition overall, with minor repair recommended as part of any general building restoration. At the vaults, this includes cleaning and conservation of the decorative painting at the metal doors. Cleaning and stone repair is needed at the fireplaces. Cleaning and replacement of missing glass shades and rehabilitation to provide continued use is recommended at the light fixtures. The continued use of light fixtures is recommended. If the existing courtyard is retained in its current configuration, remedial repair to the paved surface is required, including re-sealing of joints and cleaning.

Site Features Enclosing the planted gardens in front of the east elevation and a portion of the south elevation of the Old Mint is a wrought iron fence. The fence, painted black, is in good condition overall, with minor corrosion at some of the pieces and disfigured or missing elements. The fence posts are set into a granite curb. Nearly all of the joints between sections of the granite curb are open and there is some cracking and displacement of the units as well.

A cast iron lamp standard with multiple globes stands on each of the two platforms flanking the entrance steps. Similar to the fence, there is corrosion of the cast iron elements and some ornamental pieces are missing. There are also broken and missing globes. The cast iron light fixtures attached to the granite at the exterior walls of the ground floor are in slightly worse condition. These fixtures probably date to 1914 when the building switched to electric power.

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Recommendations: Restoration of the site features is recommended to enhance the immediate surroundings of the Old Mint building. Restoration of the fence would entail removal of paint coatings and corrosion from the wrought iron fence and application of new coatings. The missing elements should be replaced in kind. The granite comprising the fence curb should be repaired and repainted.

Although not original, the lamp standards at the entrance steps are of secondary significance and should be preserved. The exterior fixtures attached to the building should be restored. Restoration of the cast iron includes removal of the coatings and corrosion, repair of cracks and holes in the cast iron, recoating, and replication of missing elements. The broken and missing globes should be replaced.

The stone at the courtyard façade and cornice is in need of repair.

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XII. FUTURE BUILDING USES AND DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction The intent of this section is to provide a platform for discussions on the best future use of the building and outline a philosophy and opportunities for any future proposed work.

For a building of the highest federal designation, a National Historic Landmark, and of the stature and significance of the Old Mint, future work 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 GSA, the City of San Francisco and other parties. The definitions of and the ten guidelines for Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Preservation are produced in Appendix C of this document.

The Standards provide general information for stewards of historic resources to determine appropriate treatments. They are intentionally broad in scope to apply to a wide range of circumstances, and are designed to enhance the understanding of basic preservation principles. The Standards are neither technical nor prescriptive, but are intended to promote responsible preservation practices that ensure continued protection of historic resources.

There are four basic treatments outlined in The Standards: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. Each treatment is defined by a series of ten broad guidelines. Of the four treatments, a combination of rehabilitation, restoration, and preservation is appropriate for the Old Mint. For instance, exterior treatments will focus on preservation of existing fabric, as well as restoration and rehabilitation of missing elements. The uses discussed below will require that changes and alterations occur primarily at the interior so that it can meet modern requirements for light, comfort, function, and technology. Therefore, the overall interior project should be carried out as a rehabilitation project, with restoration and preservation of select elements or spaces identified as “very significant” or “significant” in Section VIII of this report. These elements should be retained, restored, and preserved to the greatest extent possible.

A project that complies with the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties can become certified under Federal Historic Preservation Tax Certification program. The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Certification program rewards private investment in the rehabilitation of income-producing historic properties. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 established a 20% tax credit to owners for the substantial rehabilitation of historic buildings for commercial, industrial and rental residential purposes. Certification is available for any qualified project that

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the Secretary of the Interior designates as a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic structure. The Old Mint is a certified historic structure because it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a National Historic Landmark. The process involves the completion of a three-part Historic Preservation Certification Application outlining the significance of the historic building, the rehabilitation plans, and the completed rehabilitation.

Future Uses of the Old Mint A number of new public uses have been proposed for the Old Mint in recent years, including retail, office, museum, conference center, event venue, restaurant, residential, or hotel, or a combination of several of these uses. These functions are consistent with President Nixon’s 1972 declaration that the building should be dedicated to the use and enjoyment of the public. The impacts of housing these uses are discussed herein. This is not meant to preclude the consideration of other uses, only to review what has been presented thus far. Alternate uses would be reviewed along similar guidelines.

In order to meet The Standards, an historic property must be “used as it was historically, or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.”78 Because the Old Mint will not be reused as a mint, the determination of an appropriate future use is key to successfully rehabilitating the building. Any new use proposed for the building must show it will have minimal impact on the historic fabric of the Old Mint, and the features that define the building’s character, which are described in a previous section of this report, can be retained.

Following the close of the Old Mint as a “money-production facility” in 1937, other compatible uses that occupied the building allowed for retention of most of the historic building fabric, excluding all machinery and many fixtures. The transition from production facility with supporting offices to office spaces requiring laboratories and workshops appears to have been fairly seamless. This conversion did not adversely affect the structure. Office use remained relatively constant over the life of the building.

From 1973 to 1994, the Old Mint housed a museum on the ground and first floor spaces on the east side of the building. This use was very appropriate for the Old Mint, as its large rooms were amenable as galleries with little modification to the building plan. Housing a museum or similar function in the Old Mint again, would be considered a use and planning approach that is appropriate for the structure.

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As mentioned above, the Old Mint housed office functions throughout its life, and would be considered an appropriate use for the building today. Office space was previously created through the division of larger production spaces into small, fully enclosed offices. This approach could be utilized again, however some reference to the original volume of significant workroom spaces should remain evident. Alternately, the large production spaces could easily accommodate open office space that is subdivided with furniture partitions. This would allow for a better understanding of the volume and quality of the original spaces, and would retain these significant spaces most effectively.

Housing a conference center that serves hotels in the surrounding neighborhood is another use and approach that could be appropriate for the Old Mint. The building’s large rooms could serve well as meeting spaces; however, accommodating some modern conferencing technologies may prove challenging. This sort of modification would need to be incorporated in a manner that does not compromise the structure’s character-defining features.

The first floor public spaces on the east side of the Old Mint, along with the adjacent courtyard, are impressive, and could provide an exceptional venue for public or private events, such as weddings or parties. This would also be considered a use and approach appropriate for this portion of the building. If a catering kitchen for the event space is included in program, its location will need to be carefully considered to minimize impacts on historic fabric.

A restaurant or retail space could be considered an appropriate use for a carefully selected portion of the building. The design of these functions should develop out of the significant existing features in the selected space, and not be a “themed” space as is common in restaurants and retail establishments. This space would need to be carefully designed and incorporation of elements that create a false sense of historicism is discouraged. This holds true for any use, yet seems particularly important with regard to these functions. Another issue that is relevant to the entire building that seems particularly important when considering a new retail use is the issue of creating new openings in the exterior building envelope. Even though it may be desirable to provide additional visibility into a retail space, the opportunity to do so will be limited because creating new openings is counter to the fortress-like aesthetic of the Old Mint. If new openings are added, they must be designed to retain the sense of the building’s character and mass, and their number and location must be sensitive to the high significance of the exterior elevations. Similar to the event space program, kitchen and support areas for restaurant space will need to be treated in a manner that minimizes impacts on historic fabric.

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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 to be located in each of them. The large rooms on all three levels are well suited to house either museum or office functions. The highly ornamented Office of the Mint, Office of the Assistant Treasurer, and the adjacent rooms and courtyard would be an exciting event venue. Ground floor rooms near existing entrances are amenable to retail/restaurant use.

The mid-1980’s rehabilitation of the Bank in downtown San Francisco, a historic building of like scale as the Old Mint, dealt with similar issues in determining an appropriate new use. The building now houses a very popular event space, offices, a small conference center, and retail space. Having a single office tenant and other ancillary uses has allowed for greater flexibility in matching the tenant’s program to the building’s varied spaces and uses. As a large amount of historic fabric was not extant in the Federal Reserve Bank when the project began and there were few highly significant spaces remaining, an extensive renovation of many spaces was determined to be appropriate. The Old Mint, however, retains a great deal of historic fabric throughout the building and renovation at the level of the Federal Reserve project would likely have a detrimental effect on the building and would not be appropriate here. This does not discount the success of the Federal Reserve Bank project, and speaks highly of housing a similar program of uses at the Old Mint.

Providing hotel space in the Old Mint poses interesting issues. While the public spaces on the first floor would be quite amenable as hotel lounge and meeting areas, providing guest rooms or suites on the second floor would require significant modifications to accommodate an efficient room layout, bathrooms and related plumbing systems, laundry and support spaces, and mechanical and electrical services. Because of the extensive alterations required to make hotel rooms feasible, converting the building to hotel use may result in significant impact to historic fabric. Similarly, converting the second floor space to individual living units, apartments, or condominiums would likely result in considerable impacts to character-defining features.

Design Opportunities Incorporating new uses into the Old Mint will pose many challenges yet present many opportunities. The new development at the Old Mint should be designed to minimize impact on the historic spaces and features; therefore, formulating a design approach that provides creative solutions will be key to the project’s success. Several of the major challenges to rehabilitating this structure into a vibrant, well-utilized facility are discussed below, with suggestions of design opportunities to resolve some of the many issues related to inserting new uses.

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Building Entry: The Old Mint was designed to provide high security for the valuables inside, and only minimal public access. Though a series of later alterations in the form of new door openings at the ground floor were added, the building still has limited access points, and a restrictive main entrance. Nonetheless, the existing monumental entrance or portico is a very significant character-defining feature and modifications to it are discouraged. This entry functions very well as a ceremonial entrance for event venues, but a more open, accessible, welcoming public entrance is likely to be necessary for the high occupancy uses proposed. To provide a higher volume entrance, creating a main entrance on the Mint Street side of the building using the existing central door openings, or using other existing openings is recommended. This could become a very attractive entrance if a portion of the alley along the west side of the building can be dedicated to pedestrian use, making it a gracious, inviting space.

Creating public entrances at existing ground floor doorways on the north and south elevations is also recommended. The entrance on the north side of the building is on Jessie Street, which is largely pedestrian. Making a portion of the alley a dedicated pedestrian way, would allow for a welcoming entrance on the north side of the building. The entrance on the south side of the building is near a very dense corner of Mission Street. Improving the conditions at this corner could enable the creation of an entrance here. Additionally, as all of the side and rear doors are at or very near grade, using these as a major entrances resolves a pressing disabled access issue in a positive way.

The proposal to create pedestrian access on all sides of the Old Mint is strengthened by the original architect’s intention of providing such access. In an article called “The New Mint” in the Alta newspaper of 6 November 1874, the building surroundings are described as follows:

The front and south end of the building are enclosed by a handsome iron railing, set in a single granite block. The sidewalks are also flagged with granite. The north end and rear require to be similarly improved. The streets on the west and north sides will be paved with granite blocks and thrown open to the public, so that the curious can promenade around the entire building.

Interior Spaces: Originally, the Old Mint interior was composed of a series of large, high- ceilinged, light-filled rooms. These spaces have subsequently been divided into smaller office spaces, with raised flooring and dropped ceilings in some areas concealing original volumes and historic finishes. Removing overlaying materials and non-historic construction (particularly at the second floor) to return the spaces throughout the building to their original configuration provides excellent opportunities for light-filled, open office or mixed-use areas. Subdivision of originally large open spaces can be achieved in a sensitive manner and would allow for various uses.

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Originally an active hub of mint production and a well-ventilated, naturally lit space created by the courtyard, the ground floor is quite different today. At present, the lack of natural light, long dark halls, and bricked up openings create numerous divided cellular spaces. The courtyard floor level was originally one story lower at the ground floor. A roof was constructed at the first floor in 1914, and then removed and reconstructed in 1973. Since the courtyard flooring is not historic fabric it could be modified. Adding skylights into the courtyard flooring and reopening the original ground floor windows along the courtyard is an opportunity that would return these spaces to their original quality and make them much more amenable to a new office or other use.

An opportunity exists to focus the circulation area of the second floor around the courtyard. Creating a continuous interior corridor around the courtyard would take advantage of the courtyard-facing windows in both the hallway and, if subdivisions were glazed to a certain extent, at interior spaces as well. This would also create an ease of movement throughout the building and provide flexibility to tenants.

Interior System Upgrades: Within the original building volumes, distribution of new mechanical, electrical, telephone, and data systems will need to be accomplished in a manner that retains the existing arched plaster and corrugated sheet metal ceiling finishes. Systems should be concealed wherever possible, and where not possible, finding a means of distributing the systems through the spaces that is sensitive to the historic volumes and features is essential.

Courtyard: The building’s inner courtyard represents the only area of original sandstone parapet and cornice fabric remaining. This feature is severely deteriorated, and specific conservation treatments will need to be executed. As this is the last of this historic feature, its retention is highly desirable. Providing protection from the weather would be extremely beneficial for the material, and could be accomplished in a number of ways. One possibility is the creation of an atrium over the courtyard, extending over the top of the courtyard parapet. This would have the added effect of creating a wonderful, naturally lit gathering space and adding useable square footage to the building. Subdivision of this space or complete infill of the courtyard with a two level space is not a desirable treatment for the courtyard.

Room 56 below the central courtyard could be rehabilitated and lighted from skylights opening into the courtyard above. Page 87 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Chimneys: The existing masonry chimneys rise high above the Old Mint roof and remain very significant as the clearest exterior expression of the industrial nature of the Old Mint. A previous structural study, discussed in Section XIII, states that the chimneys are in poor structural condition and are likely to collapse in the event of an earthquake, with falling debris posing a life-threatening hazard to building occupants and pedestrians. Developing a safe, yet historically appropriate solution will be necessary.

The structural report outlines three solutions: complete removal of the chimneys and infill at the roof level, removal and replacement with a replica, or stabilization. It goes on to state, however, that stabilization will not provide an adequate level of seismic safety. Removal of the chimneys without replacement is not likely to be considered an appropriate solution as it removes major character-defining features, leaving no reference to them. The second alternate, removal and replacement of the masonry chimneys, provides an interesting design opportunity. Replacement could be undertaken in a manner that is differentiated from the original, given that the overall form is recreated.

If the chimneys cannot be retained, their vacant form could become the location of new elevators for the building, interpreting the chimneys’ original mass and footprint with the form of the new shaft. The space located between the two chimneys could house a new stair to supplement the vertical circulation in the building.

Before a determination to remove the chimneys and proceed with the second alternate can be made, new options for stabilization utilizing all available technologies must be studied, as retention of these very significant features is the optimal solution.

Rooftop Addition: Creating a rooftop addition has been mentioned as an option for the Old Mint. The benefits of this approach seem to be limited, as the area available for such an addition would be relatively small. A rooftop addition would need to be set back some distance from the façade, so it would not encroach on the historic elevations; it could only be located over the flat roof areas, as removal of the sloped, pediment roof would constitute removal of a very significant feature; and it could not be located over the courtyard, as cutting off the natural light to the courtyard would alter this space greatly.

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XIII. BUILDING CODE ISSUES

As part of a future project at the Old Mint, deficiencies in life safety, structural systems, and accessibility will need to be upgraded to meet the current requirements of the Uniform Building Code (UBC), or the California Historical Building Code (CHBC). As the Old Mint is a designated historic structure, the CHBC can be utilized to assist in minimizing the impact of a construction project on the historical resource. The CHBC encourages the preservation of historic buildings while providing a reasonable level of safety for building occupants and the public at large. The prevailing code, the UBC, was established for use in new construction. When applied to historic buildings, requirements of the UBC may damage or remove historic features because of the “prescriptive” nature of the code. The CHBC is a “performance-based” code, requiring the same level of safety, but permitting the applicant to identify different options to achieve safety. This can minimize the removal of historic fabric, furthering the preservation of building’s integrity.

A preliminary building code analysis outlining the larger life safety issues is provided below. It is provided only to highlight some of the issues that will need to be studied during a rehabilitation project, and does not address every area of review required. Studies addressing seismic, fire protection, and accessibility issues previously prepared are also summarized herein.

Primary Issues The Old Mint was built of a highly fire-resistive construction based on the needs of the original minting operations. By today’s standards it would be considered of Type II Fire Resistive (FR) construction, and possibly of Type 1 construction if its masonry construction can be considered reinforced. Type II FR is used as the basis for this preliminary analysis.

Given net square footages of approximately 28,000 square feet at the ground and first floors, 22,000 at the second floor, and 5,000 at the attic level, and assuming either a B (Business) or A2.1 (Assembly) occupancy, a building of Type II FR construction appears to meet the UBC requirements for allowable height and area.79

There are four original stairs in the building that run from the ground floor to the second floor. They are evenly distributed in the building, making travel distance to a stair well within the allowable distance. None of the stairs, however, are enclosed. Type II FR construction requires stairs to be within 2-hour, fire-rated construction, so alterations to the stair shaft may be required. This should be carried out in a manner that does not compromise the structure’s historic fabric. Additionally, the stairs on the west side of the building do not exit directly to the exterior.

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Modifications may be required to correct this, and similarly, should be carried out in a sensitive way.

The total width of the four existing stairs is approximately 14 feet. If the Old Mint houses B (Business) occupancy functions, and an event venue in the first floor ceremonial spaces, the existing stairs appear to accommodate the occupant load. If an entire floor of the Old Mint becomes a museum space, the occupant load for the space is likely to be beyond what the existing stairs can accommodate. This may necessitate spreading high-volume occupancies over several floors, or providing an additional stair.

The interior partitions are constructed mainly of masonry, which should meet UBC requirements for one-hour rated corridors. The corridor doors may not meet one-hour requirements. Adding a fire sprinkler system should allow the existing doors to remain based on the CHBC. The CHBC will also allow for retention of the existing west stairs that do not meet UBC width or landing size requirements. The CHBC should also allow for retention of existing stair rise where it is higher than allowed by the UBC, retention of existing guardrails that are lower than UBC prescribes, and other existing conditions given they do not compromise the building users’ life safety.

Finally, the two attic spaces each have only one exit. Depending on how these areas are used, additional exits may need to be provided.

Seismic Strengthening In April 1993, Forell/Elsesser (F/E) Engineers, Inc. prepared a report for the General Services Administration entitled Seismic Upgrade Comparison Study for Old Mint Building, which included a seismic evaluation, a fire protection survey and evaluation, and an accessibility survey and evaluation. The latter two surveys were performed by consultants to F/E and are discussed in the following sections.

F/E found the building’s materials and masonry construction to be “of exceptionally good quality for the era of construction”. However, the report discusses a number of structural deficiencies, which include the following: The brick chimneys are noted as the most serious seismic hazard; The attic walls are not adequately braced at the roof and attic floor framing, and are not reinforced for out-of-plane forces; The roof and attic diaphragms are inadequate; The stone parapets are not properly anchored; The columns at the main entrance are not properly anchored at the top;

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Brick walls and piers are overstressed in several locations; and Deficiencies in stone cladding anchorage.

The report includes four alternatives for the level of strengthening that could be provided. The base shear, which defines the design force level, was evaluated for the 1991 UBC, 80% of the 1991 UBC, the Uniform Code for Building Conservation (UCBC), and the CHBC. F/E recommended strengthening to the most stringent design level. The proposed strengthening system included new roof and attic diaphragms and collectors, shotcrete walls at the attic, embedded concrete columns in brick wall piers around the building perimeter and courtyard, parapet bracing, anchoring the tops of the entrance columns, and masonry repairs.

Strengthening systems proposed by F/E are generally concealed within wall surfaces, such as the embedded concrete columns, or are located in less significant spaces in the building, such as the shotcrete shear walls in the attic, which will minimize the impact of strengthening the Old Mint. Constructing the embedded columns will require the removal of historic fabric on the wall surface, but will allow for the replacement of the fabric in its original location. Where the finished wall surface is plaster, this is relatively easy to accomplish. Where very significant decorative wall and ceiling surfaces are present, great care will need to be taken to ensure the historic materials are not damaged if this strengthening scheme goes forward, or an alternate system should be developed.

Three options for strengthening the chimneys are proposed in the report as well. First, removing the chimneys and infilling the roof; second, removing the chimneys and constructing replicas of them with interior steel framing and precast cladding; and third, strengthening the chimneys with post-tensioned cables anchored to the foundation. Bracing the existing chimneys is the preferred option from a preservation standpoint. The first option, removal, should be avoided, as it would remove a very significant feature.

The appropriate design force level for a project today will need to be evaluated based on current codes and the new use of the structure, which may differ than those required for the previous project. Alternate seismic strengthening systems should be considered that result in cost savings or that take advantage of key advances in technology appropriate to the project. Alternates to the scheme described briefly herein should integrate into the structure in a manner similar to this scheme, which will largely conceal seismic interventions, and has minimal impact on the historic fabric.

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Fire Protection Sierra Consultants prepared an evaluation of fire protection for the Old Mint entitled Report of Fire Safety Conditions, Old Mint, San Francisco, CA, which was included as an appendix to F/E’s seismic study. The report assesses the structure to provide “an equivalent minimum level of life safety required by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101.” Its findings describe a number of deficiencies in exiting systems and fire-rated separations. The unenclosed stairwells present a significant fire hazard, as they would allow fire to travel from floor to floor with ease. The report recommends improvements to the exiting and fire alarm systems, and provision of fire separation walls in areas where a fire is more likely to begin, such as storage, mechanical, electrical, and boiler rooms. These upgrades will be required in any new development at the Old Mint. A current rehabilitation project may require a sprinkler system be installed, depending on the selected occupancy. It is likely that a new fire alarm system will be required for the building as well.

Accessibility Page + Turnbull, Inc. Architects prepared an evaluation of accessibility for the Old Mint entitled Old Mint Accessibility Study, which was included as an appendix to F/E’s seismic study. The report provides a detailed analysis of the existing impediments to access at the building and site, and provides recommendations for their correction. The Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), 1988 edition, was used as the reference standard for the study. UFAS tends to be less stringent than the accessibility requirements of the Uniform Building Code with California amendments (CBC), which will be used for a current rehabilitation project, so recommendations presented by Page and Turnbull will require some reevaluation, and additional requirements of the CBC will need to be incorporated into the project.

Deficiencies noted include the following: The primary entrance is not accessible; There is only one exit at grade level. An alternate accessible exit or area of evacuation assistance is required; The existing elevator does not meet space requirements for wheelchairs; The existing restrooms are not accessible; Vault doors and main entrance doors have raised thresholds; Many doors do not have lever handles; Some openings have paired 2-foot wide doors that do not meet clear width requirements; The stone flooring has irregularities that could be considered trip hazards; A visual and audible alarm system is not provided;

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Accessible parking is not provided. Curb ramps around site do not meet code; The existing drinking fountains and telephones do not meet accessibility codes; and Directional signage is not provided.

The report also noted that due to the thickness of the building’s interior masonry walls, it is not possible to provide adequate clear space at the doors, and proposes no action be taken to remedy this.

The recommended solution to providing access to the main entry made in the report is worth noting. Page & Turnbull proposed locating an elevator in Room 07 that would be accessed by converting an existing window opening to a door opening. The elevator would take the visitor up to Room 107, allowing entrance at this ceremonial space.

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XIV. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books Gardner, Mercedes Louis Philip. The Story of Mary Elizabeth Cooley Harris: A Reasonable Facsimile of a Family History. N.P.:August 1977.

Gayle, Margot, David W. Look, and John G. Waite. Metals in America’s Historic Buildings: Uses Preservation Treatments. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Cultural Resources, Preservation Assistance, 1992.

Kirker, Harold. California’s Architectural Frontier. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith, 1960.

Lee, Antoinette J. Architects to the Nation: The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architects Office. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

Lloyd, B.E. Lights and Shadows of San Francisco. 1876.

Olmsted, Roger and T.J. Watkins. Here Today: San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage. San Francisco: Chronicle Books: 1978.

Rand, Richard. Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide. San Francisco: Heritage House Publishers. 1999.

Roth, Leland. A Concise History of American Architecture. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers. 1979.

San Francisco City Directory, 1875.

Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992.

Wiley, Peter Booth. National Trust Guide San Francisco. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 2000.

Documents/Journals “The Architectural and Historic Significance of Our Old Mint Building.” Manuscript. San Francisco Public Library, California History Room.

Bancroft, C. “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964, 24-26.

Barnes, William Henry. Argument of Wm. H.L. Barnes, of Counsel for the Superintendent, before the Commissioners Appointed to Investigate the Management of the United States Mint, San Francisco, Cal. August 24th, 1881.

Berry, Thomas S. “Gold! But How Much?” California Historical Quarterly. 55-3 (1976): 246- 255.

Bullough, William A. “Eadweard Muybridge and the Old San Francisco Mint: Archival Photographs as Historical Documents.” California History. 68 (1989): 2-13.

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“CHC Efforts to Save Mint Pay off—with Museum to Boot!” Official Publication of the California Heritage Council. Vol. VII/No.1. May 1973.

Cardwell, Kenneth H. “Photograph—Data Book Report: Historic American Building Survey.” August 1958.

Eastman, William E. Letter to the Archivist of the United States. 4 June 1969. San Francisco Public Library, California History Room.

Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc. Final Report on Seismic Upgrade Comparison Study for Old Mint Building, San Francisco, California. April 1993.

Fields and Devereaux Architects, AIA. Historic Building Preservation Plan: The Old Mint. July, 1995.

“Filling a Seventy Million Dollar Order at the U.S. Mint.” San Francisco Chronicle, 31 May 1903.

French, Harold. “Electrical Melting and Refining Plant Installed in the San Francisco Mint.” San Francisco Chronicle, 22 March 1908.

“Future Use of the Old Mint Awaits Resolution.” Heritage News. Nov/Dec 2000: 1, 11.

Gubin, Kenneth B., Counsel to the Mint, “National Historic Landmark – United States Old Mint.” United States Government Memorandum. 17 August 1983.

Historic American Buildings Survey. National Park Service. Old Mint Building, CA-160. Washington: 1953.

Howland, Richard H. Memo to Members and Friends of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. February 1959.

Kahn, Julius. The San Francisco Mint Should not be Abolished; Speech in the House of Representatives, 9 May 1912.

Maintain and Improve a National Treasure (M.I.N.T.). Mayor’s Committee to Preserve and Enhance the San Francisco Mint. Final Report to Preserve and Enhance the San Francisco Mint. 18 April 1994.

“Memorial to Congress from the Citizens of San Francisco, California, for the Establishment of a Branch Mint at That Place; and in Relation to the United States Assay Office.” Washington, D.C.: Gideon & Company, Printers, 1851.

Muybridge, Eadweard. Eadweard Muybridge Collection. California Historical Society.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), San Bruno, California United States Mint, San Francisco Branch Register of Contracts, 1 Volume, 1926-51, Record Group 104, Compartment 3336G. Photos of Mint Operations, 1935-38, Record Group 104, Compartment 3336G. Furniture and Fixtures, 1893, 1 Volume, Record Group 104, Compartment 3336 C. Interior and Exterior Restoration Project, 1871-1978, 4 boxes, Record Group 104, Compartment 3336B.

Newman, William Arthur. “Development of Federal Architecture in California.” The Architect and Engineer. July 1918, v54 (1) 66.

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Norris, T.W. T.W. Norris Collection. “Proposals for Wrought and Cast-Iron Work for the U.S. Branch Mint, San Francisco, California.” 1 June 1871. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

“The Old Mint: A National Historic Landmark 1874-1973.” Pamphlet, no date.

“The Old Mint Building and the Sandstone Contract 1869-1874.” California Historical Society, U.S. Mint—San Francisco, no date.

“The Quarries.” California Historical Society, San Francisco Misc.: U.S. Mint-SF, no date.

Research Archivist, FRC San Francisco. Memorandum to Manager, FRC San Francisco, Regional Director, NARS, San Francisco, 29 May 1969. San Francisco Public Library, California History Room.

Schilling, Hugo Karl. Hugo Karl Schilling Papers 1914-1928. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Sproul, Robert Gordon. Robert Gordon Sproul Papers. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Treasury Department, Office of the Director of the Mint. “Mints of the United States.” San Francisco Public Library, California History Room.

Treasury Department, Office of the Director of the Mint. “The United States Mint at San Francisco.” San Francisco Public Library, California History Room, no date.

“U.S. Branch Mint San Francisco, Cal.” Clipping. The WASP No.1. 1876.

U.S. Department of Treasury. Treasury Department Commission to Investigate San Francisco Mint. Report of the Commission on Charges and Allegations Made by Hon H.F. Page Against H.L. Dodge, Esq. San Francisco: Alta Printing House, 1881 [?].

U.S. Department of Treasury. United States Mint, San Francisco. San Francisco Records 1850- 1875.

“U.S. Treasury Register, 1875: United States Mint.” Manuscript. San Francisco Public Library, California History Room.

Waite, John G., AIA. Preservation Brief 27: The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Cast Iron. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Cultural Resources. Washington: October, 1991.

Page 96 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

Newspapers “A Big Mint Theft.” Daily Alta California, 26 April 1879, 1:3.

Adams, Gerald D. “U.S. Plan: Make City Liable for Old Mint.” San Francisco Examiner, 30 May 2000.

“A Home for History: City Officials and Historical Societies Should Make a Deal with the Feds over Acquisition of the Old Mint for a Museum.” San Francisco Examiner, 2 June 2000, A-1, 16.

“Amount and Disposition of Standard Dol.” San Francisco Bulletin, 19 April 1889.

“Architect of the Mint Building.” Daily Alta California, 27 May 1870, 1:1.

“At the Mint: A Change All around—the Removals and the Appointments.” San Francisco Call, 1 September 1886, 5:4.

“Coinage for September and for the First Nine Months of the Year.” San Francisco Bulletin, 12 October 1987.

“Coinage of the San Francisco Mint.” San Francisco Bulletin, 24 January 1885.

“Coining over One Million Dollars a Day.” San Francisco Bulletin, 17 April 1904.

“Cost of Running the Mint.” San Francisco Bulletin, 22 November 1884.

“Filipino Pesos Coined Here.” San Francisco Chronicle, 10 April 1903, 11:7.

“Filling a Seventy Million Dollar Order at the U.S. Mint.”

Gordon, Rachel. “New Life for Old Mint – SF to Take It over.” San Francisco Chronicle, 3 January 2002.

“Historic Scales.” Oakland Tribune, 26 August 1973.

“How Money Is Made: Some Interesting Sketches in Uncle Sam’s Workshop.” San Francisco Call, 24 February 1889, 12:3.

“Lunatic Cry for Razing Old Mint.” San Francisco Chronicle, 18 February 1960, 28:1.

“Mayor Opposes Mint Use as Museum.” San Francisco Call Bulletin, 17 January 1958.

“The Mint: First Session of the Investigating Commission.” Daily Alta California, 2 July 1877, 1:7.

“Mint Investigation.” Daily Alta California, 7 July 1877, 1:3.

“The New Branch Mint: Laying of the Corner Stone To-day.” Daily Alta California, 25 May 1870, 1:1.

“The New Branch Mint: the Present Condition and Progress of the Structure.” Daily Alta California, 13 January 1870, 1:1.

“The New Mint.” Daily Alta California, 6 December 1866, 1:2.

“The New Mint.” Daily Alta California, 1 November 1874, 1:3.

Page 97 United States Old Mint, 5th & Mission Streets, San Francisco Historic Structure Report 26 June 2002 Architectural Resources Group

“The New Mint: the Building Completed and Transferred by General McCullough to General La Grange.” Daily Alta California, 6 November 1874, 1:4.

“The New U.S. Branch Mint: Laying of the Corner Stone.” Daily Alta California, 26 May 1870, 1:2.

Obituary of Walter Sontheimer. San Francisco Chronicle, 10 June 1985.

O’Brien, Robert. “Riptides.” San Francisco Chronicle, 28 August 1946, 14:3.

O’Brien, Robert. “Riptides.” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 August 1946, 16:3.

‘On Mint Site in 1864.” San Francisco Chronicle, 28 January 1934.

“Preliminary OK for Money to Renovate Old Mint.” San Francisco Chronicle, 17 November 1995.

Robbins, Millie. “Old Mint’s Desperate Struggle for Survival.” San Francisco Chronicle, 5 April 1972.

“The San Francisco Mint.” San Francisco Examiner, 28 June 1993.

“San Francisco Mint.” Daily Alta California, 6 February 1867, 1:5.

“The San Francisco Mint.” Daily Alta California, 28 March 1854, 2:2.

“S.F.’s Old Mint—Historic Landmark.” San Francisco Chronicle, 4 July 1961, 13:1.

“Save the Old Mint.” San Francisco Chronicle, 1 August 1969.

Other Media www.achp.gov [13 February 2002]. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation website.

www.google.com. Image collection.

www.libweb.sfpl.org [13 February 2002]. San Francisco Public Library online photograph collection.

www.nara.gov [12 February 2002]. National Archives Records Administration website..

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CalHeritage. California Heritage Collection of online images.

Drawings Architectural Drawings are listed in a separate Drawing Inventory in Appendix G.

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XV. ENDNOTES

1 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. p. 86. The quote was taken from The Old San Francisco Mint 1869-1874: Summary Report for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, July 1969. p. 17. 2 Heritage News. “Future Use of the Old Mint Awaits Resolution”. November/December 2000, Vol. XXVIII, No. 6., p. 11. 3 Fields & Devereaux Architects, AIA. Historic Building Preservation Plan: The Old Mint. July 1995. p. 8. 4 From the website of the U.S. Mint, Department of the Treasury. www.usmint.gov. 5 “The United States Mint at San Francisco” Memo from the Office of the Director of the Mint, U.S. Department of Treasury, dated August 1971. 6 “The New Mint.” Alta 6 December 1866, p. 1:2. 7 ibid. 8 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. p. 86. 9 See drawings signed by A.B. Mullett, undated but thought to be 1865, entitled "Front Elevation" and "Side Elevation" with a handwritten note stating “Early Design – Not Built.” 10 Lee, Antoinette J. Architects to the Nation: The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architects Office. p. 86. 11 “Architect of the Mint Building.” Alta 27 May 1870, p. 1:1. 12 The establishment of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury Department dates to 29 August 1862, where $1 and $2 United States Notes, which had been printed by private bank note companies, were sealed by hand. Today there are approximately 2,500 employees who work out of several buildings across the nation, including a new facility located in Fort Worth, Texas. The official opening of the Western Currency Facility took place on 26 April 1991. From the website of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. 13 The Old Mint: A National Historic Landmark 1874-1973. Pamphlet, no date. 14 ibid. 15 “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964, p. 24. 16 ibid. 17 “Filipino Pesos Coined Here.” San Francisco Chronicle 10 April 1903, p. 11:7. 18 U.S. Treasury Register. U.S. Department of Treasury. United States Mint, San Francisco. San Francisco Records 1850-1875. 19 Of the 223 names listed on the register 46 are recognizable as women’s names. Many other names are listed by initials with a last name following, for example, “B.A. Reynolds”. Whether this refers to a male or female, it is impossible to tell. It is quite possible that there were larger numbers of women employed at the Mint in 1875 than can be determined from the employee roster. 20 “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964. p. 26.

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21 The Story of Mary Elizabeth Cooley Harris: A Reasonable Facsimile of a Family History. p. 39. 22 “A Change All Around – The Removals and Appointments” San Francisco Call Bulletin 1 September 1886, p. 5:4. 23 U.S. Mint San Francisco Branch Furniture and Fixtures, 31 July 1893, Volume 1. Held at the National Archives and Records Administration, San Bruno, California. 24 “The New Mint.” Alta 6 November 1874, p. 1:4-5. 25 Historical information summarized from the following sources: Lee, Antoinette J. Architects to the Nation: The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architects Office. New York: Oxford Press, 2000; “The Old Mint: A National Historic Landmark 1874-1973;” and, Heritage News. “Future Use of the Old Mint Awaits Resolution”. November/December 2000, Vol. XXVIII, No. 6., p. 11. 26 Memo to Friends and Members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation by Richard H. Howland, President, dated February 1959. 27 “Mayor Opposes Mint Use as Museum.” San Francisco Call Bulletin 17 January 1958, p. 1. 28 From the San Francisco Mint Preservation Papers held at the American Numismatic Association Library Archives. Summary available at: www.money.org/library/archive-sfmint.html 29 ibid. 30 General Services Administration Memorandum dated 29 May 1969 from Research Archivist, FRC San Francisco to Manager, FRC San Francisco and Regional Director, NARS, San Francisco. 31 National Archives and Records Service (NARS) Memorandum dated 4 June 1969 from William E. Eastman, Regional Director, NARS, to the Archivist of the United States. 32 ibid. 33 Heritage News. “Future Use of the Old Mint Awaits Resolution”. November/December 2000, Vol. XXVIII, No. 6., p. 11. 34 “The Old Mint: A National Historic Landmark 1874-1973.” Pamphlet, no date. 35 Drawing signed by Walter Sontheimer, AIA, titled "Chimneys at South End of Courtyard" dated 30 May 1973. 36 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 37 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. p. 86. The quote by Alfred B. Mullett was taken from the first page of the Annual Report of the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year 1867. 38 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. p. 85. 39 ibid. 40 “The New Mint.” Alta 1 November 1874, p. 1:3. 41 Obituary of Walter Sontheimer. San Francisco Chronicle 10 June 1985. 42 ibid.

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43 An unsigned an undated drawing held by the GSA indicates the location of the cistern and two wells in the floor of the courtyard at ground level. Contemporary newspaper references corroborate that the building was equipped with its own water source and that water service was augmented, in the form of two new wells, just several weeks before the 1906 earthquake and fire. 44 Reference to the granite is from an article titled “The United States Branch Mint” undated, from the California Historical Society newspaper clippings file on the Old Mint. 45 “California Granite Quarries-List of Location and Individual Quarries” in Lewis E. Auburn, The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38 (San Francisco: State Mining Bureau, 1906) as cited in “Stone Quarries and Beyond,” compiled by Peggy B. Perazzo and George P. Perazzo. 46 “The Building of the Old Mint San Francisco , The Five Year “Sandstone Contract 1869 to 1874” from the Old Mint file at the California Historical Society. 47 Copies of drawings of the metal repair work by Eandi Metal Works, dated 1973 are held by the GSA and may be useful for future repair work. 48 Drawing No. CL-700 titled “Conduit and Lighting,” signed by J.A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect to the Treasury, dated 25 April 1914. 49 “The New Mint.” Alta 6 November 1874, p. 1:4-5. 50 See drawing signed by A.B. Mullett, undated, titled "Counters in Office of Asst Treasurer and Office of the Mint," Drawing No. 69. 51 “The New Branch Mint – The Present Condition and Progress of the Structure.” Alta 13 January 1870, p. 1:1. 52 ibid. 53 Gayle, Margot and John G. Waite. Metals in America’s Historic Buildings. p. 32. 54 Chronicle citation appears in “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964. p. 26. 55 “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964. p. 26. 56 “The New U.S. Branch Mint – Laying of the Cornerstone.” Alta 26 May 1870, p. 1:2. 57 Drawings titled “Partial Floor Plans for Hydraulic Ram Elevator” dated 13 June 1898 and "Sketch Plans Illustrating Proposed Plan of Plumbing" dated 9 September 1898, both signed by J.W. Roberts, Supervising Superintendent for U.S. Public Buildings. 58 Plans and elevation drawings of elevator signed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect to the Treasury Department, dated 22 July 1900. 59 “A Mint at Stake.” Westways, August 1964. p. 25 60 Repair drawings signed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect to the Treasury Department, titled “Elevations of North Wall" and "Stone to Be Replaced and Retooled” dated 31 July 1907 and “New Partition for Melter and Refiner” of the same date. 61 Series of drawings signed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect to the Treasury, titled “Lighting and Conduit” dated 25 April 1914. 62 Drawings signed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect to the Treasury, and dated 2 May 1928, all relating to the construction of a two-story storage vault at the ground floor level of the courtyard are as follows: Additional Storage Vault, Conduit and Lighting, Plan of Foundation, Floor plan showing vault

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ventilation, Plan of Lower and Upper Floor of Vault, Plan of Roof for Vault, Rail and Beam and Framing Plan, and Construction Details. 63 Drawing signed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect to the Treasury, and dated 4 May 1928. 64 Drawings signed by William Arthur Newman, District Engineer, titled "Proposed Visitor's Gallery" dated c. 1929. 65 Drawings signed by J.A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect to the Treasury, titled “Basement Plumbing Plan” and “Roof Plumbing Plan” dated 9 November 1931. 66 “Riptides” San Francisco Chronicle 30 August 1946 p. 16:3-5. 67 “Lunatic Cry for Razing Old Mint” San Francisco Chronicle 18 February 1960 p. 28. 68 “S.F’s Old Mint – Historic Landmark” San Francisco Chronicle 4 July 1961 p. 13:1. 69 A series of drawings by Construction Evaluators, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dated 1972-73. 70 Elevation and section drawings of safe door by Herman Safe Co., dated July, 1971 and May 1973. 71 United States Department of the Interior. National Register of Historic Places. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Revised 1995. 72 Lee, Antoinette J., Architects to the Nation, The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect’s Office. New York: p. 85. 73 “California Granite Quarries-List of Location and Individual Quarries” in Lewis E. Auburn, The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38 (San Francisco: State Mining Bureau, 1906) as cited in “Stone Quarries and Beyond,” compiled by Peggy B. Perazzo and George P. Perazzo. 74 “The Old Mint Restoration Specifications.” 75 Bongirno, Barbara and Doyle Wilhite. “The Preservation of The San Francisco Mint: Cleaning, Structure Repair, & Stone Replacement Techniques” in Technology and Conservation, vol. 2, no. 3 (Fall 1977): 22- 24, p. 23. 76 ibid, p. 24. 77 Waite, John G., AIA. Preservation Brief 27: The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Cast Iron. p. 3. 78 Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. Standard #1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. 79 Square footages used for building code analysis are averages of areas indicated in Historic Building Preservation Plan: The Old Mint, by Fields & Devereaux Architects, July 1995, and areas taken from existing non-verified building plans. Further field verification is required to determine the actual gross and useable square footage of the building.

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