This morning a load of historic lumber out of beautiful Saint Joseph’s Church in San Francisco is on a truck, making its way to us! The current church building was erected in 1906. The wood is old and sturdy rough-cut, full-dimension 2x material, and as far as we can tell is 108 years old. The structure has been out of use since the 1989 earthquake. Luckily the contractors are just gutting the building to restore and reinforce it, and this beautiful edifice will remain standing in San Francisco. The information below is copied directly from NoeHill in San Francisco – Historic Sites and Points of Interest in San Francisco, as is the exterior photo. The interior photo is from the contractors.
San Francisco Landmark #120
Saint Joseph’s Church, Parish Hall and Rectory
1401 Howard Street At 10th Street
Built 1913
Saint Joseph’s Church, Parish Hall and Rectory have been vacant since they were damaged by the Loma Prieta Earthquake on 17 October 1989, but things are looking up for the neighborhood. The new headquarters of Twitter, Inc. is located just two blocks from Saint Joseph’s Church.
Saint Joseph’s Church is also National Register Listing #82002250.
The following is adapted from San Francisco Planning Commission Resolution No. 8591 dated 22 July 1980.
St. Joseph’s church and parish were founded in 1861 by Rev. Hugh Gallagher, under the direction of California’s first Archbishop, Joseph Alemany. The congregation outgrew the first frame structure, which was followed in 1865 by a structure which was destroyed in the 1906 fire. The cornerstone of the present Neo-Romanesque church, designed by architect John Foley, was laid in April 1913.The church founded two parochial schools in 1867 – one for boys and one for girls – and has had educational facilities at the site since that time. The present parish hall, built in 1906, once served as both the church and school. The Young Men’s Institute, a fraternal organization, was founded here in 1883, and was expanded into chapters nationally.
St. Joseph’s Church and complex has had important meaning to many ethnic groups in the city, not just to its South of Market parishioners. The complex reflects the many social and economic changes in the city, and is an example of a church coping with these conditions, to remain a vital force in the city.
From its originally predominantly Irish parishioners, the Church now [1980] serves a primarily Filipino parish, the largest in the United States. In April, 1979, the Image of the Santo Niño de Cebu, the Philippines’ patron saint, was enthroned in the church.
