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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese erected this building in 1854, shipping a building materials from the East before large-scale lumber, brick, nail or other building hardware manufacturers were established in San Francisco. Originally located on Market Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, the archdiocese moved this small, wood-frame building twice to suit changing parish needs. In 1873, in preparation for the construction of the huge Palace Hotel #1, Old Saint Patrick's was transported by horse team to a parcel on Eddy Street between Laguna and Octavia Streets to serve the Parish of Saint John the Baptist; here it stood until 1891, when it was relocated seven blocks west to become the home of Holy Cross Parish. An historical plaque (donated by the Native Daughters of the Golden West in 1954) indicated: "Oldest frame church building in San Francisco. The original Saint Patrick's Church built in 1854 upon the present site of the Palace Hotel from materials brought around the Horn moved to Eddy Street & served as Pro-cathedral 1885-1891. Moved to present location 1891 where it became Holy Cross Parish Church until 1899--one hundred years of service have been completed." (See Image "San Francisco Landmark #6 Old St. Patrick's Church," published by NoeHill in San Francisco,Accessed 11/10/2014.)

Since 1891, Old Saint Patrick's has occupied this sloping site on Eddy Street in San Francisco's Western Addition. On the exterior, this clapboard-clad building had chaste, Greek Revival styling, with four pilasters supporting a nicely detailed broken pediment. The pilasters separated the front facade into three bays. The central, main entry and symmetrical fixed-glass windows on either side were trabeated, a key feature of the Greek Revival.

The Macang Buddhist Monastery purchased Saint Patrick's Church #1 and moved it slightly for a third time in the 2000s, incorporating it into a larger temple/monastery complex. Macang also owned the 1899 Saint Patrick's Church next door, and commissioned TOPetcher Architects to make renovations to both buildings. The Topetcher web site detailed that the program for Old Saint Patrick's: "The new Buddhist Monastery will adapt the Landmark St. Patrick’s, the oldest frame church in San Francisco. The structure has been relocated to several sites throughout the City. It will once again be moved, this time only several feet instead of being pulled by horse miles across the City’s former sand dunes. It is fitting that its current reincarnation is to be a Buddhist Monastery. The monastery will house visitors from Taiwan; coming to worship at the adjacent soon-to-be completed Buddhist Temple. The original church hall will be reused and its historical exterior restored. A new four-story head house will replace an accumulation of additions at the rear of the structure. The new addition will be clad with coated vertical corrugated metal panels and have a pitched roof form." (See "Macang Monastery & Temple, San Francisco," Topetcher Architects,Accessed 11/10/2014.) Between 2003 and 2007, documents filed with the City of San Francisco Building Department indicated that 12 apartment units would be added to the parcel at 1820 Eddy Street. A recent 6-story, 19-unit apartment building, not affiliated with the monastery, was erected next door at 1816 Eddy Street, c. 2010.