Corbett Heights, San Francisco (Western Part of Eureka Valley) Historic Context Statement Prepared for Corbett Heights Neighbors Funded by Historic Preservation Fund Committee For Submittal to San Francisco Planning Department Prepared by Michael R. Corbett Architectural Historian 2161 Shattuck Avenue #203 Berkeley, California 94704 (510) 548-4123 [email protected] 11 May 2017 Historic Context Statement Corbett Heights Final (Western Part of Eureka Valley) San Francisco, California TABLE OF CONTENTS I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 A. Project Purpose .................................................................................................................................. 1 B. Historic Context Statements ............................................................................................................ 1 C. Project History and Personnel ......................................................................................................... 2 Sponsoring Organization ................................................................................................................ 2 Fiscal Sponsor .................................................................................................................................. 2 Volunteers ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Planning Department ...................................................................................................................... 3 Funding ............................................................................................................................................. 3 D. Project Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 3 Location ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Boundaries ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Time Period of the Study ............................................................................................................... 5 Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Name of the Neighborhood .......................................................................................................... 5 E. Evaluation of Historic Resources ................................................................................................... 7 F. Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Tasks .................................................................................................................................................. 8 Sources ............................................................................................................................................... 8 G. Organization of Report ..................................................................................................................... 9 Overall Organization ....................................................................................................................... 9 Map and Photograph Citations and Sources ............................................................................. 10 II. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 11 A. Setting ................................................................................................................................................ 11 B. Character of the Built Environment ............................................................................................. 12 C. Land Division and Surveys ............................................................................................................ 15 III. EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF CORBETT HEIGHTS, 1860-1906 ............................ 17 A. Economic Conditions ..................................................................................................................... 17 B. Initial Development ........................................................................................................................ 20 Milk Ranches .................................................................................................................................. 20 Miller-Joost Property, 1867 .......................................................................................................... 21 Alfred “Nobby” Clarke Property: Estate and Hospital ........................................................... 26 On Subdivision Lots ..................................................................................................................... 28 C. Subdivisions ...................................................................................................................................... 29 Plan and Lot Types ........................................................................................................................ 29 Grid Plans .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Reaction to the Grid: Romantic Planning ..................................................................................... 30 Johnson, Ellis, & Burke, 1862 ..................................................................................................... 31 William R. McKee Subdivision, 1864 ......................................................................................... 31 Pioche & Robinson Subdivision, 1867 ....................................................................................... 33 May 2017 i Michael R. Corbett Historic Context Statement Corbett Heights Final (Western Part of Eureka Valley) San Francisco, California Market Street Homestead Association, 1868 ................................................................................ 37 Park Lane Tract, 1885 ................................................................................................................... 39 Adolph Sutro (1830-1898) ............................................................................................................... 44 D. Transportation and Infrastructure ................................................................................................ 45 Corbett Street/Road/Avenue ...................................................................................................... 45 Horse Power ................................................................................................................................... 46 Golden Gate Park: Streets and Transit Lines to the Neighborhood ..................................... 47 Streetcars & Development ........................................................................................................... 48 City Monuments............................................................................................................................. 50 Water ................................................................................................................................................ 51 Streets & Sidewalks: Internal Concerns ..................................................................................... 52 Curbs ................................................................................................................................................ 54 Streetlights ....................................................................................................................................... 56 Sewers .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Telephone ....................................................................................................................................... 56 E. Industry ............................................................................................................................................. 56 Tuttle Brothers Brick Company .................................................................................................. 57 Home Industry ............................................................................................................................... 58 California Brewing Company ....................................................................................................... 58 San Francisco Brick Company ..................................................................................................... 58 Simons-Fout Quarry and Brick Company ................................................................................. 59 F. Demographics .................................................................................................................................. 60 Social Class ...................................................................................................................................... 60 Nationality and Occupation Groups .......................................................................................... 60 1900