Building History

This residence was inhabited by General Persifor Frazer Smith (1798-1858), the commander of the US Army's Pacific Division in San Francisco during 1849. By 1850, the Army had transferred to Texas to command the Department of Texas. He remained here until 1856.

He utilized this residence for a short time during 1849 before a "Mrs. King" transformed it into the United States Hotel #1. An advertisement in the early San Francisco newspaper, the Daily Pacific News, contained a classified ad for the new hotel in its issue of 08/25/1849: “United States Hotel, (late Gen. Smith’s quarters,) is now opened under the direction of Mrs. King. The location and arrangements of this house render it a desirable residence for gentlemen and their families. The table will be abundantly supplied with the choicest products of the market, and the bar constantly stocked with the best of wines and liquors.” (See United States hotel advertisement, Daily Pacific News, vol. 1, no. 1, 08/25/1849, p. 3.)

PCAD id: 24841