North Beach in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Devil's Acre & Battle Row
"The Center of Sin in San Francisco"
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 11, 2020
1. Devil's Acre & Battle Row Marker
Inscription.
Devil's Acre and Battle Row. "The Center of Sin in San Francisco". From the mid-1880s onward, the diagonally cut block bounded by Broadway, Kearny, and Columbus came to be known tocally as the "Devil's Acre,” a place described by the San Francisco Call in 1886 as "the resort and abiding place of the worst criminals in town." It was here that vice and vulgarity reigned supreme, a district of depraved citizens and disreputable dens aptly charaeterized as "the lowest spot of its kind in the city.” Perhaps the most notorious strip of the Devil's Acre was the eastern side of Kearny Street, known as "Battle Row;” a line of dens that reportedly "catered to the lowest of the Barbary Coast hangers-on."
From the mid-1880s onward, the diagonally cut block
bounded by Broadway, Kearny, and Columbus came
to be known tocally as the "Devil's Acre,” a place
described by the San Francisco Call in 1886 as "the
resort and abiding place of the worst criminals in town."
It was here that vice and vulgarity reigned supreme,
a district of depraved citizens and disreputable dens
aptly charaeterized as "the lowest spot of its kind in
the city.” Perhaps the most notorious strip of the Devil's
Acre was the eastern side of Kearny Street, known as
"Battle Row;” a line of dens that reportedly "catered to
the lowest of the Barbary Coast hangers-on."
Erected 2018 by Top of Broadway Community Benefits District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 37° 47.834′ N, 122° 24.328′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in North Beach. Marker is at the intersection of Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Kearny Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This is one of a number of historical markers installed by the Top of Broadway Community Benefits District in the Spring of 2018.
Additional keywords. prostitution
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 11, 2020
2. Devil's Acre & Battle Row Marker - wide view
The marker is visible here, embedded in the sidewalk, next to the green garbage can.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, July 11, 2020
3. Devil's Acre & Battle Row Marker - wider view
The marker is barely visible here, in the sidewalk by the garbage can in front of the black building.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 452 times since then and 189 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
