Phelan Building

Phelan Building
Phelan Building
	A view of the Phelan Building from the Central Tower, 2014
	Location within San Francisco County Phelan Building (California) Phelan Building (the United States)
General information
Type	Commercial offices; Retail space
Location	760 Market Street; San Francisco, California
Coordinates	37°47′12″N 122°24′20″W / 37.7865828°N 122.4055023°W
Groundbreaking	October 7, 1907
Completed	1908
Technical details
Floor count	11
Floor area	31,000 sq ft (2,900 m2)
Lifts/elevators	9
Design and construction
Architect(s)	William Curlett
Developer	James D. Phelan
San Francisco Designated Landmark
Designated	1982
Reference no.	156
References

The Phelan Building is an 11-story office building located at 760 Market Street in the Financial District of San Francisco, California. It has a triangular shape, similar to the Flatiron Building in Manhattan, New York City, with its tip at the meeting point of Market Street, O’Farrell Street, and Grant Avenue. It is a San Francisco Designated Landmark.

The building was designed by William Curlett and built in 1908 by James D. Phelan on the place of the first, original Phelan Building, damaged by the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The original Phelan Building

The first Phelan Building was constructed in 1881 by James Phelan, the father of James D. Phelan. It was a 6-story, bay-windowed, mansard-roofed flatiron.^[3] The architect was John P. Gaynor, who also designed the original Palace Hotel.^[4] Despite being advertised as “thoroughly fire and earthquake proof”,^[5] the building was badly damaged in the 1906 post-earthquake fire, and its ruins were subsequently dynamited on April 20, 1906.^[6]

Original Phelan Building in 1888
The ruins of the original building

The second Phelan Building

Work on the new Phelan Building began on October 7, 1907, and was completed on September 1, 1908, for retail stores, and the first day of 1909 for offices.^[7] It was one of the earliest office buildings to be rebuilt after the earthquake.

The building's exterior features metal windows and is clad in cream glazed terra-cotta. The original steel structure was designed to accommodate 13 floors; eventually eleven were completed.^[8]

At its opening, the building featured an assembly hall on the 11th floor, arcade stores on the second floor, and a basement café.^[7] For many decades, the Phelan Building was a de facto center for jewelry, hosting dozens of jewelers and a jewelry school.^[9]

The Phelan Building in 2017
The tip of the building
7th floor of the Phelan Building in March 2014; the last floor in its original configuration at that point and not converted to open layout

The penthouse

An unusual feature of the building is a small penthouse. Originally adorned by a rooftop garden, it was used by James D. Phelan to entertain dignitaries. It served as a photography studio in the 1960s,^[10] and was abandoned some time in the 1980s.

Major past and current tenants

George Haas & Sons, confectioner. The store was marketed as “the most beautiful candy shop in the country.”^[11] Their business also operated a tea room on the second floor.^[12]
Medium (website)
Credit Karma^[13]
Flexport
Opower

References

^ "City of San Francisco Designated Landmarks". City of San Francisco. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
^ "Emporis building ID 191337". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021.
^ "The Phelan Building History". phelanbuilding.net. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
^ Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World, or, Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated, ed. H. S. Foote (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1888)
^ Phelan Building advertisement, Fraternal Record, July 24, 1886
^ "1906 Earthquake: Fire Fighting - Presidio of San Francisco (U.S. National Park Service)". nps.gov. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Phelan Building: An Entirely New Modern Class "A" Office Building and a San Francisco Landmark (brochure), 1908
^ Huge Phelan Building already is a landmark, San Francisco Call, December 29, 1907, p. 40
^ "The Phelan Building". killyourmac.com. January 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
^ Seidkin, Phyllis (August 25, 1963), High Life at O'Farrell and Market, The San Francisco Examiner, Pictorial Living, p. 10
^ "Boxes used to come with more than just candy". February 9, 2008.
^ Whitaker, Jan (June 30, 2015). Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America. ISBN 9781250089816.
^ "Credit Karma leases new San Francisco headquarters in 760 Market St. - San Francisco Business Times". Archived from the original on May 17, 2014.

External links

[SFLandmark-1] "City of San Francisco Designated Landmarks". City of San Francisco. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2012.

[2] "Emporis building ID 191337". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021.

[phelanbuilding-3] "The Phelan Building History". phelanbuilding.net. Retrieved April 29, 2014.

[4] Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World, or, Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated, ed. H. S. Foote (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1888)

[5] Phelan Building advertisement, Fraternal Record, July 24, 1886

[nps-6] "1906 Earthquake: Fire Fighting - Presidio of San Francisco (U.S. National Park Service)". nps.gov. Retrieved April 29, 2014.

[brochure-7] Phelan Building: An Entirely New Modern Class "A" Office Building and a San Francisco Landmark (brochure), 1908

[8] Huge Phelan Building already is a landmark, San Francisco Call, December 29, 1907, p. 40

[killyourmac-9] "The Phelan Building". killyourmac.com. January 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2014.

[10] Seidkin, Phyllis (August 25, 1963), High Life at O'Farrell and Market, The San Francisco Examiner, Pictorial Living, p. 10

[11] "Boxes used to come with more than just candy". February 9, 2008.

[12] Whitaker, Jan (June 30, 2015). Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America. ISBN 9781250089816.

[13] "Credit Karma leases new San Francisco headquarters in 760 Market St. - San Francisco Business Times". Archived from the original on May 17, 2014.

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v t e Financial District, San Francisco
Buildings and business	44 Montgomery 45 Fremont Street 50 Beale Street 50 California Street 88 Kearny Street 100 First Plaza 100 Montgomery Street 100 Pine Center 101 California Street 101 Montgomery 150 California Street 225 Bush Street 301 Howard Street 333 Bush Street 333 Market Street 345 California Center 388 Market Street 425 California Street 425 Market Street 456 Montgomery Plaza 505 Montgomery Street 555 California Street 580 California Street 595 Market Street 601 California Street 650 California Street Bank of California Building Bank of Italy Building Central Plaza Central Tower Commercial Union Assurance Building Embarcadero Center Embarcadero West First Market Tower Flatiron Building Four Embarcadero Center Hallidie Building Hobart Building Humboldt Bank Building Hunter-Dulin Building The Infinity JPMorgan Chase Building KPMG Building Market Center McKesson Plaza Mills Building and Tower Mutual Savings Bank Building One Bush Plaza One California One Embarcadero Center One Front Street One Maritime Plaza One Market Plaza One Montgomery Tower One Sansome Street Pacific Gas & Electric Building Phelan Building Russ Building San Francisco Ferry Building Shell Building Stevenson Place Three Embarcadero Center Transamerica Pyramid Two Embarcadero Center
Businesses	Hilton InterContinental Le Méridien Park Central Hotel Punch Line Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences Tadich Grill
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Education	Academy of Art University Golden Gate University
Geography	Belden Place Embarcadero Plaza Kearny Street Montgomery Street New Montgomery Street
Public art	Admission Day Monument Lotta's Fountain Mechanics Monument Vaillancourt Fountain
Transportation	Embarcadero station F Market & Wharves Montgomery Street station
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