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Russian Hill Neighbors

Russian Hill Neighbors

Creating Community in the Russian Hill Neighborhood of San Francisco

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    • Parks In and Around Russian Hill
      • Alice Marble Tennis Courts
      • Allyne Park
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      • Francisco Park formerly Russian Hill Park
      • George Sterling Park
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      • Ina Coolbrith Park
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      • The Alpheus Bull and Bertram Alanson Houses
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      • Russian Hill I Summit Walk
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      • Russian Hill II – The North Slope
      • Russian Hill III North Slope
      • Russian Hill IV Green Street and Macondray Lane
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Chronology

Russian Hill I Summit Walk (Vallejo Crest)- Chronology

1850 Bayard Taylor reports seeing Russian grave markers
1853

U.S. Coast Survey maps show no development in the district.

Charles Homer buys the block bounded by Broadway, Vallejo, Taylor, and Jones for $5,000; builds family home at 1601 Taylor Street (demolished in 1910).

Joseph Atkinson builds 1032 Broadway, the first structure in the district.

1854

William H. Ranlett builds “The House of Many Corners” at 1637 Taylor.

David H. Morrison builds a 30-foot square single story house at what is now 40 Florence Street.

1856 David H. Morrison dies at the Insane Asylum at Stockton.
c.1856-57 William H. Ranlett, bankrupt, abandons his home and returns to the east coast.
1858 City acquires location that is now Ina Coolbrith Park for a school.
c.1860 Two-story house with front porch built at 1075-77 Vallejo, later occupied by Peter Lowery.
1863

James Demerest builds house at 1078 Broadway.

Samuel L. Theller purchases the Ranlett house and builds the retaining wall on Taylor Street in front of the house.

1864 The east half of 1652-56 Broadway (“The House of Many Flags”) is built by Angus McPherson.
c.1864-77 Elementary School at location of Ina Coolbrith Park.
c.1866 One-story house built at southwest corner of Vallejo and Florence, later occupied by Gelett Burgess (then 1031 Vallejo, now the location of 1071 Vallejo).
1867 Retaining walls built on Taylor in front of the Homer and Ranlett houses.
1877 Taylor Street is graded from Vallejo to Green. Joseph Britton builds a retaining wall along the west side of this block of Taylor.
Pre-1886 Fourteen small houses built between Florence and Jones Streets.
1888-89 Marshall Houses built at 1032, 1034, & 1036 Vallejo; first shingle houses in San Francisco, designed by the Swedenborgian pastor, Joseph Worcester. Mary Curtis Richardson, the artist, moves into 1032 Vallejo.
1889 Horatio P. Livermore buys the Morrison-Turner-Partridge house (40 Florence Street). By then, it was a two-story house.
1889-90 Joseph Worcester builds his own cottage at 1030 Vallejo on land given him by David
Marshall.
c.1890 Retaining wall built on Broadway west from Taylor (a.k.a. the Parker-Atkinson Wall and the Demerest Wall).
1891 Willis Polk rents the Morrison-Turner-Partridge house from Horatio P. Livermore and remodels the parlor.
1892 Willis Polk builds 1019 Vallejo for Dora Williams and 1013-17 Vallejo for his family.
1893 Willis Polk remodels the interior of 1032 Broadway for Kate Atkinson.
1894

Bruce Porter designs the gardens for 1032 Broadway and the balustrade on top of the
retaining wall.

Construction begins on Worcester’s Swedenborgian Church in Pacific Heights.

Gelett Burgess moves to 1031 Vallejo (now 1071). The Russian Hill Neighborhood House is organized there in June, 1897.

1895

Fanny Stevenson, Robert Louis Stevenson’s widow, moves in with Dora Williams at 1019 Vallejo.

The northern half of 1637 Taylor (Ranlett House) is cut off and moved away as a result of a divorce settlement.

1895-97 Resident Bohemians, Les Jeunes, write and produce The Lark.
1897-88 H.P. Livermore family moves into 40 Florence Street. The house is shingled, enlarged. A third story is added.
1903 The west side of 1652-56 Broadway (“The House of Many Flags”) built by Eli Shepherd.
1905-6 Houghton Sawyer builds 1001 Vallejo for R. G. Hanford.
1906

April 18 – Earthquake. Fire Begins.

April 19 – Soldiers see Dakin’s flag and save 1652-56 Taylor.

April 19 to April 20 – Fire takes everything throughout the three Russian Hill Districts.

1908 Peter Lowrey rebuilds his house at 1075-79 Vallejo.
c.1908 House at 49 Florence built. Cottage built on the north half of 39 Florence.
1909 Albert Farr builds 1020 Broadway and 1629 Taylor for Charles Homer’s grandchildren.
c.1910 Charles Homer’s original house at 1601 Taylor demolished.
1910 Charles F. Whittlesey builds 10 Florence for Mrs. Gerberding.
1912 Charles F. Whittlesey builds the south half of 39 Florence and 1071 Vallejo for H.P. Livermore. Norman Livermore lives in the house.
1913 Charles F. Whittlesey builds 35 & 37 Florence and 1728-30 Jones for H. P. Livermore.
1914 Willis Polk builds the Vallejo Street improvements at Jones, Taylor, and the Crest for adjoining property owners.
1915 Charles W. McCall builds 1740-42 Jones and 1085 Vallejo for H.P. Livermore.
1915-16 Willis Polk builds 1,3,5,7 Russian Hill Place for Norman Livermore.
1916 H.P. Livermore dies; Norman Livermore moves into 40 Florence.
1917 Julia Morgan builds 1023 Vallejo for Helen Livermore.
1919 Sara Bard Field buys 1020 Broadway and moves in.
1920 Livermores sell 1071 Vallejo to Isabel Stine, a co-founder of the S.F. Opera.
1926 Livermores give Russian Hill Place to the City.
1926-31 Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange live at 1639 Taylor.
1927,1930 Julia Morgan designs additions to 1023 Vallejo.
c.1930

Norman Livermore moves his family to Marin County.

City builds Florence Street retaining wall and steps and the wall across Broadway.

1931 City Recreation and Parks Department acquires Ina Coolbrith Park property from School Board.
1933 Wolfsons buy north half of 39 Florence and demolish 1908 cottage.
1936 Farr & Ward build 6 Russian Hill Place.
1941 Farr & Ward build 1070 Vallejo.
1950 J.G. Kelley builds 4 Russian Hill Place.
c.1950 Norman Livermore begins selling off properties.
1954 Clifford Conley builds 1059 Vallejo (The Pineapple House).
1957

Anshen and Allen build 1000 Vallejo on the site of the Livingston Jenks house (1905-1956).

Bruce Heiser builds 1 Florence.

c.1960 1030 and 1032 Vallejo demolished.
1975 Modern front replaces original Italianate front of 1637 Taylor.
1978 10 Florence built.
1980-82 Escherick, Homsey, Dodge, and Davis build 1020 Vallejo for George and Putnam Livermore.
1986-87 Robert Stern remodels 40 Florence.
c.1995 10 Florence demolished and a new house built.
1997-1999

Condominiums constructed at “The Meadow,” 1035-55 Vallejo.

Historic-style street lighting completed in the 1000 block of Vallejo with private funds.

2001-2002 Condominiums constructed at 955 Green; Architect George Homsey. A large amount of rock encroaching on the street is removed to complete this project.

Previous: Early Residents Next: Reference Sources

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