January 15, 2021: Link Exchange

Added to OHD on 1/15/21 - Last OHD Update: 1/22/21 - 318 Comments

Today’s featured home has been an obsession for…weeks? The postcard I have is newer, 1974(ish) of an 1880s photo. It’s not the best quality, the texture lines can be seen in the scan, makes it look dotty.

The home was built in 1881 and moved in 1908 to an unknown location (if anyone found it beforehand, tell the internet next time!)

It was reportedly designed by Samuel and J. Cather Newsom. Originally located at 2425 (not 2435 as reported) Fillmore Street in San Francisco on the southwest corner of Jackson & Fillmore. Open SF History also mentions it belonged to Captain J.O. Van Bergen but after the notice he is not mentioned again. A.M. Starr, a local merchandise/grocer purchased the lot before the home was built.

SF Examiner March 18, 1881 Real estate transfer, “M.B. French and wife to A.M. Starr, lot 105×102 feet, on southwest corner of Fillmore and Jackson streets, $5,000.” A larger lot was later subdivided.

SF Examiner April 23 1881 Announcement about being subdivided into lots and foundations being laid. 11 rooms for the corner house although that seems to have changed to 16 once built.

SF Chronicle Oct. 24 & 26 1881 The home officially goes up for sale along with two other homes built. “No. 2425 Fillmore St., corner Jackson – Lot 38×105, with large well-built residence of 16 rooms, conservatory and all modern improvements.” East & Eldridge Real Estate

Over a year later, Dec 23 1882 A.M. Starr to Anna Meade/George W. Meade to Anna Meade (as gift.) $12,000 with mortgage for $6500. I did not find Starr residing at this address, did the house sit empty all that time? Searching SF Directory this address doesn’t show and A.M. Starr lived on another street. The 1883 Directory shows the Meade’s at 2425 Fillmore. Mr. Meade made his fortune in the dried fruit business (and other ventures.) Although by 1887 his business was failing. They sold the home in 1888. 1892 they were going to build a new home at the corner of Lyon and Jackson designed by J. Cather Newsom (Mar. 9, 1892.) Before they could move in, it burned to the ground. $20,000 loss (although another article said $50k), no insurance (SF Chronicle, Oct. 28, 1892.) It pushed the city to install more fire hydrants (SF Call, Jan. 1, 1893.) Mr. Meade died in Jan. 1897 at age 45 (obit SF Call, Jan. 6, 1897.)

SF Chronicle July 20, 1888 George and Anna sold the home “Jackson and Fillmore, southwest corner, south 38:8×105 in Western Addition, 360. George W Meade and wife to Adolph Rosenshine for $10,500.” Adolph (tobacco importer, originally from Germany) and Elizabeth Rosenshine had two daughters, Edith and Annette and two sons, Albert (politician) and Leon.

Edith wrote about the 1906 San Fran Earthquake, during this time is when they lived at the home. Bancroft Library.

Annette started her adult life as a sculptor and traveled with Michael and Sarah Stein. While in Paris she was a student of Matisse’s first art class and even a friend of Picasso ((link), (link 2). After Paris she studied under the famous Dr. Jung where he encouraged her to start sculpting again (link). Photograph of Annette by Ansel Adams. The Hands of Annette Rosenshine by Ansel Adams.

In 1907, Rosenshine decided to remove the home and build a four story apartment building with the cost of the building at $33,000 ($916,662 today). SF Examiner April 12 & 13, 1908: “Elegant corner house, now at S.W. corner Fillmore and Jackson sts., offered for immediate sale; must be removed at once; good chance for neighboring lot owner to get a bargain. Apply to Baldwin & Howell.”

SF Examiner & Call April 19 & 20, 1908: “Furniture and carpets for sale – No reasonable offer refused; house to be removed. 2425 Fillmore St.”

In 1908, home is officially moved. Milwaukee Public Museum, Sumner W. Matteson Collection,Cat. No. 44997

Unverified, haven’t found the original source, that the home was sold for $350 ($10,085 today) and moved 12 blocks for $1500 ($43,222 today.) I’ve yet to find a transfer of sale or mention of the home being moved in the newspapers at that time.

Meanwhile, SF Chronicle June 13, 1908: “…Adolph Rosenshine let a contract for a four story brick building for apartments at the southwest corner of Jackson and Fillmore streets.” He named it Elizabeth Apartments, after his wife. They featured hardwood floors, coal and gas grates, hot water and an elevator. It’s still there, street view and one of the apartment interiors,

That’s where it disappeared (again, unless someone didn’t tell the internet as I found nothing) until…

After searching for ~~hours~~ ~~days~~ a good long while using various resources, decided to take another look at the Sanborn map. Maybe I could find an outline of the home and go from there. From the photo of it being moved it traveled down Steiner in the direction of Washington so that’s where I started, let’s go in that direction by 12 blocks. If you strip the ornaments off the home, it’s a common shape found in San Francisco. That made it difficult. I took to comparing the pre-move Sanborn to the 1913 map to determine if the same building was there before the move. For a while I thought I saw it at the edge of a photo but nope, it was there before the move. There were others but again, there before the move. And then I saw it. This one place had a “3” where the tower would have been. Sanborn Maps tell you how many stories the structures for each section of the home. A small square with a 3 on top of a larger 2 usually means a tower. This gave me an address to work with, 2609 Bush Street. To Google Maps… Drats! No home there! It can’t be that easy, can it?!

Sanborn Map, 1913 (link)

Because of the number of homes that are similar in shape, I had to verify this outline was that home. So more searching, looking back I don’t know how long it took and it seems dumb as it was RIGHT THERE in a Google search using the new address but, FINALLY, photos from 1936 with interior photos! YES! YES! YES! A quick comparison of the details, IT HAD TO BE IT! From the SF Examiner Collection titled “Fire Traps.” Oh. Not what I wanted to hear. In 1936 a rooming house fire killed 7 and the people demanded something be done. The SF Examiner wrote articles about various fire traps in the city but I did not find an article mentioning this home. The photos from 1936 below are from the Berkeley, SF Examiner Collection, (link).

I wanted to find who moved it. Let’s go back to 1906. The SF Block Book shows a large lot belonging to Abbie M. McLaughlin (shown as a teacher for most of her life), 206.3′ by 137.6′. The property belonged to her father and mother (Hiram and Mary.) April 14 1880 SF Examiner “Hiram McLaughlin and wife to the Union Insurance Company for 2 years at 8 per cent, on the lot 206 6×137.6 feet, on the south-west corner of Bush and Devisadero (later changed to Divisadero) streets for $5000.” Hiram, still alive in 1887 but by 1900 Mary was a widow. Did Abbie move it? I’ve not been able to verify that. But it was moved to the lot she owned at the time and continued to own for a while longer.

Abbie’s lot, 1906.

1909 SF Directory shows multiple people living here, I assume it was immediately turned into a boarding house. For some reason Miss Abbie did not live here. 1909 shows her living at 1690 Golden Gate Ave. along with Mrs. Julia Pendergast (relation), possibly in a boarding house. I did not find her in the 1910 Directory. 1911 shows her at 1740 Bush another boarding house.

SF Call Aug 13 1910 “Leases have also been made by…Mrs. Pendergast to Reinert & Reilly, the premises at the southwest corner of Devisadero and Bush streets. The present premises will be completely remodeled and made suitable for tenants uses. The lease is for five years at private terms.”

SF Examiner July 26 1911 Ad for room and board for two young mean. $25/month for bath, phone, three hot meals.

SF Call Feb. 10, 1912 “The German Savings bank made a renewal loan of $12,000 to Abbie McLaughlin and James A. Pendergast on property at the southwest corner of Devisadero and Bush Streets” Pendergast was either her brother in law or uncle. Sometimes it shows Mrs. James Pendergast.

SF The Recorder March 14, 1916 Mortgage notice for Abbie McLaughlin & James A. Pendergast for $17,000. Same property.

SF Recorder Jan. 14, 1921 Deed transfer from Abbie McLaughlin to John H. Tietjen “S Bush 103-3 W Divisadero W 103 x S 137-6” It appears she sold the property to someone that had been renting a unit.

SF Examiner Nov. 20, 1926 Classified for room for rent. Mr. Tietjen has been keeping this as multi-units.

Oct. 16, 1931, Abbie McLaughlin passes away.

Jan. 11, 1935, John H. Tietjen passes away, shows him of 2609 Bush, age 60, a retired grocer. From here I do not know who became the new owner.

SF Examiner Feb. 1, 1937 Room for rent.
SF Examiner Oct. 30, 1938 Room for rent.

1938 aerial, the home is seen to the right of the large building, (David Rumsey link)

SF Examiner April 18, 1939 Arthur Maxfield found died in basement, suicide. Wilfred Gush, another roomer found him. I also found another weird instance of a boarder that lived here. One day he was walking down the street and fell over dead. The autopsy revealed he had a serious concussion but no one knew where he got it from.

A 1940 model of San Francisco. The red roof home to the right of the larger brown roof building.
(David Rumsey link)

The last mention I found about room/flat rental was June 24, 1941 (multiple thru the years.)

1943 became the condemn and demolish the slums year. I do not know the exact year it was demolished, by 1944 the home is no longer there although I suspect it was demolished between 1941 and 1943 based on articles about building apartments on the street. Post war house, Sutter Court is shown as ready in May 1944.

1948 aerial, apartment buildings in its place.

Another strange finding, the home was photographed in 1936 standing. From a SF Board of Health notice, Jan. 27, 1921: “2609 Bush Street (condemned and 30 days granted to demolish.)” Reading more articles, other homes would be declared condemned but years later notices show condemned again as illegal flats since it had been condemned once before.

It had to have been demolished after the last known occupant in 1941. I suspect 1942 but 1943 is up for grabs as well. Some of the early demolitions were mentioned by address but none for 2609 Bush. Hundreds of homes considered slums were demolished, so maybe this didn’t get a notice along with the hundreds of others not mentioned by address.

Part of the tower peeking out. You can see the “floor” of the balcony sticking out in front with the adornment underneath.

Interiors taken of the “Fire Trap” SF Examiner collection.

Was anything salvaged? The salvage business at that time probably had a hell of a time keeping up with the number of demolitions going on.

After weeks of research, I still don’t know exactly when it was demolished. I don’t know who bought it, moved it (Abbie was a school teacher. Maybe her uncle and aunts helped?) I believe it was demolished but in 1908 I did not find a mention about the home being moved to another lot. Is it possible this was moved again? I’m not holding out hope. In the 1970s the SF Redevelopment Agency put a stop to demolition Victorian buildings. They were moved instead. link. 1970s would be too late for this one. Maybe parts of it survive. One can hope.

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