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Overview

This was one of the most important early office buildings in 1850s-1860s San Francisco, attracting professionals of all sorts. In 1863, two architects, Joseph Boardman and Peter Portois, had offices in Naglee's Block. (See San Francisco City Directory, 1863, p. 399.)

Building History

At great expense, Henry Morris Naglee (1815-1886), a notable banker, vintner and Union Army General, erected a three-story commercial building of brick to resist fire; his first four business buildings had burned. Construction began on 05/11/1850, and was completed in time to resist a disastrous fire that swept through the city in 1851. In the wake of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, this was said to have been the oldest brick building surviving in he city, located at the southwest corner of Montgomery Street and Merchant Street. In c. 1897, Lubin's Restaurant, the National Brewing Company Tavern and Asti's Restaurant occupied the Naglee Block.

Building Notes

Architect J. Boardman maintained his office in Naglee's Building in 1863. (See San Francisco Directory, 1863, p. 399.)

Architectural writer Agnes Foster Buchanan observed of this Naglee Building #5 in 1906: "The reader will notice that its design is decidedly French in Character. It reminds one of the plaster houses erected in Paris during the reign of Louis Philippe, and it was planned evidently by an architect with Parisian training." (See Agnes Foster Buchanan, "Some Early Business Buildings of San Francisco," Architectural Record, vol 20, no. 1, 07/1906, p. 23.)

Alteration

Buchanan described the alterations the building underwent between 1850-1900: During the half century during which it survived, it has obviously suffered both from renovation and mutilation. In 1897, the fronts of the building both on Montgomery and Merchant streets, were rejuvenated with a fresh coat of plaster, while at the same time the iron balconies on the former frontage were torn out, so as to afford more space for 'Lubin's' sign. At a still earlier date the frontage of the ground floor, on Montgomery street , was obviously filled in with a comparatively solid wall, similar to that on Merchant Street, and when this was the case and when the building was all of one color, it must have been a very respectable piece of mid-century Parisian design." (See Agnes Foster Buchanan, "Some Early Business Buildings of San Francisco," Architectural Record, vol 20, no. 1, 07/1906, p. 23-25.)

PCAD id: 17338