San Francisco - Jackson Square Historical District
Historically speaking Jackson Square is one of the most interesting parts of San Francisco. Contrary to the expectations aroused by its name, it is not actually a square. It consists of Block 400 on Jackson Street and neighboring side streets where a number of 19th century business premises have been preserved. Most have been given a new lease of life as show rooms for interior designers, but there are also several other equally interesting shops.
Jackson Square was the first part of San Francisco to be designated an area of historic interest (in 1972). Most of the buildings are now protected, among them:
No. 407: the warehouse of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory; built in 1860 and in use until 1894.
Nos. 415-31: the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory; built in 1853 and in use until 1894.
No. 432: incorporating parts of the old Tremont Hotel, built in 1855 and later demolished.
No. 441: erected in 1861 over the buried wreckage of two ships abandoned during the Gold Rush.
No. 470: dating from 1852 this house was successively the Spanish, Chilean and French Consulates. It was also at one time the editorial offices of "La Parola", an Italian-language newspaper.
No. 472: one of the oldest (1850-52) and, in its simplicity, most handsome office buildings of its period in San Francisco; French Consulate from 1865 to 1875.
Nos. 445, 463-73 and 451: the first group date from 1860, the latter from 1866. They were built by Anson Parsons Hotaling, a well-known liquor-dealer of the time.
Most of these buildings survived the 1906 earthquake unscathed; a few suffered slight damage and were repaired.
The former tobacco warehouse around the corner at 722-28 Montgomery Street was converted in 1958 into law offices by the noted defense attorney and damages specialist Melvin Belli.
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