Building Notes

In 1953, the first floor of 415 Jackson contained space for two commercial storefronts with glazed windows. A door at 431 Jackson Street led to second-floor offices. The building had seven, Italianate, decorated pilasters separating plate glass windows of the first floor, each with Corinthian capitals. Four consoles "supported" a decorative frieze with a dentil band on the bottom, demarcating first and second floors. A series of six, tall, narrow double hung windows illuminated the second floor, each with a segmental arch at the top. The four windows of the inner bays were surrounded by ornamented casings and topped by triangular pediments. Decorative brackets rested under the ends of each pediment, providing visual support. Windows within bays on either end lacked triangular pediments, but were highlighted by vertical stacks of single, rusticated quoins. Another frieze separated the second floor fenestration from the parapet line.

The Ghirardelli and Danzel Coffee and Spice store operated in this building during the early days of telephony in San Francisco, CA. This store was connected to the citys first telephone exchange after 1878. (See San Francisco Public Library.org, "Building at 415 Jackson Street] [graphic]," accessed 01/04/2024.)

According to the Museum of the City of San Francisco, San Francisco first received telephone service in 1878, with the "...first telephone instruments... installed in the News Letter office at Merchant and Montgomery streets, and in Mr. Marriott’s home at the corner of Jones and Lombard streets." (See Richard C. Smith, Museum of the City of San Francisco.org, "The News Letter and The Telephone," first printed in the San Francisco News Letter, Diamond Jubilee Edition, 09/1925, accessed 01/04/2024.)

PCAD id: 24909