Historic Neighborhood Context Around 100 McAllister

by Ruth Todd

100 McAllister Street is an Art Deco and Gothic Revival high-rise constructed in 1930 with a unique and storied history. Located at the crossroads of three neighborhoods, 100 McAllister is important to the development and character of San Francisco; the Tenderloin, Civic Center, and Mid-Market neighborhoods. Known as “The Tower,” it has been both witness and contributor to the patterns of history that make these three neighborhoods significant.

The area where 100 McAllister now stands was devastated in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. After the rubble was cleared, plans for rebuilding the neighborhoods began. The Tenderloin, Civic Center, and Mid-Market neighborhoods were within designated “Fire Limits” that required fire-resistant building materials in dense urban areas. New buildings in these areas had to be brick or reinforced concrete. As the urban landscape of these neighborhoods became denser, the character and identity of these places developed into the neighborhoods we know today; the bustling commercial district of Mid-Market, the government and cultural institutions of the Civic Center, and the high-density residential and small retail establishments of the Tenderloin.??

By the 1920s these neighborhoods were well established. The Tenderloin maintained a reputation for vice; its entertainment venues catered to both neighborhood residents and out-of-town visitors. Yet, the Tenderloin was also the densest apartment district in the city; largely occupied by those who worked in the Civic Center and Downtown. The typology of apartment buildings in the Tenderloin were generally three to five-story brick structures with ground level retail or community space. By the late-1920s, several taller apartment and hotel buildings were constructed, the tallest, at 28-stories, being the steel and reinforced concrete skyscraper at 100 McAllister Street.??

The Tower’s story begins with a peculiar concept by three San Francisco Methodist Episcopal Congregations: to create a high-rise hotel and church combination. The idea was that the revenue from the hotel would fund the church operations and that the unique concept would bring new congregants. Initially designed by Miller & Pfluger and completed by architect Lewis Hobart, the William Taylor Hotel & Methodist Temple Church opened in 1930. At its completion, the building was the tallest hotel skyscraper in the West. The design of the church portion, known as the Great Hall, was a dramatic five-story volume space with Gothic-inspired pointed arches and fluted ribs. Opening in the first months of the Great Depression, the venture proved unprofitable and was bankrupt by 1934 and sold at auction.?

The William Taylor Hotel was purchased in 1937 and became the Hotel Empire. Guest rooms and apartments were remodeled along with the transformation of the 24th floor into the Sky Lounge, San Francisco’s first high-rise cocktail lounge featuring 360-degree views of the city. Although the Sky Lounge proved a popular night-life destination, the hotel continued to struggle financially.??

In 1942 the hotel’s owners accepted an offer from the U.S. Treasury to purchase the building for use as a federal office building. Numerous federal agencies subsequently occupied the building, including the Secret Service, Navy Department, Army Ordnance District, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The Great Hall became an IRS office and drop ceilings were installed to hide the religious connotations of the space. In 1977, the federal government declared the building was declared surplus property, and the federal offices were relocated to the new Philip Burton Federal Office Building on Golden Gate Avenue.?

?In 1980, the building was transferred to Hastings College of the Law (now University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, or UC Law San Francisco). Following interior renovations by the school, the building reopened as “McAllister Tower” for use as student housing. Upon the completion of 198 McAllister, students were relocated so that the Tower can be seismically strengthened and continue to serve UC Law and its adjacent San Francisco neighborhoods.?

References?

Michael R. Corbett, “Uptown Tenderloin Historic District, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form,” 2008.??

Tim Kelley Consulting, “Historical Context Statement Mid-Market Historical Survey,” Prepared for The San Francisco Redevelopment Company, 2011.?

MIG, “Civic Center Historic District Cultural Landscape Inventory,” 2014.?

Page & Turnbull, “100 McAllister Street, Historic Resource Evaluation,” 2012.??

Page & Turnbull, “Historic Preservation Certification Application Part I,” 2023.?

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