Historic Walking Tour Guide: Alamo Square Landmark District

One-sheet walking tour for the Alamo Square Landmark District in San Francisco featuring eight stops. From introduction: "The Alamo Square Landmark District, where you find the iconic “Postcard Row”of Victorians, is an architecturally significant collection of historically middle and upper income residences. It also tells the story of the social transitions of a neighborhood over an 80 year span. Starting in the 1880s, a cable car (replaced by an electric streetcar in 1912) attracted the wealthy to the good views and weather offered by the park. Architects designed unique and extravagant single-family residences for clients that wanted to show off their good taste. The large houses offered ample space in raised basements for servants, extended family, or for rental units. From 1912 to 1934, the district attracted a growing number of renters. To house the increase in population, some older houses, especially those on prominent corners, were replaced by tall apartment buildings. During World War II, many residences were split into small apartments, though their original exterior was kept intact. In the 1950s and 1960s, historic portions of the neighborhood were demolished and redeveloped, which increased the area’s population. Today, the district is one of San Francisco’s main tourist attractions, due to its intact architecture, central location and strong visual quality. One of this district’s most defining qualities is the use of the projecting bay window along residential street frontages. The shapes of these projecting bays reflect dominant architectural styles from the period of significance of the district. Italianate buildings of the 1870s and early 1880s are identified by their angled bays. The Eastlake or San Francisco Stick style of the 1880s switched to rectangular muscular bays, while the Queen Anne style of the 1890s is recognized by more ornate, asymmetrical curved bays. When Classical Revival styles became popular in the 1900s, projecting bays were designed in varying shapes and ornamented with classical detailing." Funding for this project was provided in part through a 2010 Preserve America grant to the City of San Francisco (grant number 06-10-AP-5034) for the Market and Octavia Historic Resource Preservation Project. The grant was administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

Historic Walking Tour Guide: Alamo Square Landmark District

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