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Battelle's Building operated on the east side of Montgomery Street, between Clay and Commercial Streets in 1854. This location now would put the structure within San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood.

Building History

Construction on Battelle's Building began on 08/01/1853, and was completed by 12/01/1853 for T.K. Battelle. Battelle's Building had 30 feet of street frontage on Montgomery Street and extended back 50 feet. Its height was four stores with a basement, rising to 100 feet. LeCount and Strong's San Francisco City Directory for the Year 1854 indicated that it had five stories and a basement. At the same time, it listed tenants existing on only four floors. It is possible that it had five floors and no tenants had leased space on the top story or the number of floors was mistaken.) (See LeCount and Strong's San Francisco City Directory for the Year 1854, p. 181.)

In 1854, the first floor had been rented by Selover and Sinton, real estate auctioneers and the Alta California office, presumably that of the newspaper, the Daily Alta California. The Battelle Building's second story had two vacancies in room #11 and #12. In #13, W.C. Allen and Company, an importer of diamonds, watches and jewelry, operated. The space next, door, room #14 was occupied by the law firm of Fry, Nautre and Johnson. The third floor had two renters of five spaces existing. Rooms #8,#9 and #10 remained empty, while P.S. Kostromitinoff, the Russian Consul, leased Room #6. A "Dr. H.W. Rivers" carried on business in room #7. The fourth floor had three occupants: building owner T.K. Battelle used rooms #1, #2, and #3. W.C. Allen had room #4 and H.A. Cobb, room #5. The basement accommodated Florence's, a restaurant managed by Horn and Gilmore. (See LeCount and Strong's San Francisco City Directory for the Year 1854, p. 181.)

PCAD id: 25853