Embarcadero in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Audiffred Building
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
1. Audiffred Building Marker
Inscription.
Audiffred Building. . Built by Hippolite d’Audiffred in 1889, with a cast-iron facade and a French mansard roof, this is the only building standing that witnessed the construction of the Ferry Building in 1896-1898. Together they are the only two buildings along the central waterfront to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire. As flames spread east to engulf this area, firemen has given up on the block when barkeepers in the Bulkhead Saloon are said to have offered them two quarts of whiskey per firefighter and a firehouse full of wine if they would save the building. Whether the story, or some variation, is true – the Audiffred Building stood as the sole survivor on this block. With three saloons on the ground floor and rented rooms above, the building became union headquarters for Andrew Furuseth’s Sailor’s Union of the Pacific. On July 6, 1934, International Longshoremen’s Union President Harry Bridges’ second floor office overlooked the site where longshoreman Howard Perry and Gene Olsen fell, shot by police. San Francisco Landmark number 7, the Audiffred Building is a National Registered Landmark.
Built by Hippolite d’Audiffred in 1889, with a cast-iron facade and a French mansard roof, this is the only building standing that witnessed the construction of the Ferry Building in 1896-1898. Together they are the only two buildings along the central waterfront to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire. As flames spread east to engulf this area, firemen has given up on the block when barkeepers in the Bulkhead Saloon are said to have offered them two quarts of whiskey per firefighter and a firehouse full of wine if they would save the building. Whether the story, or some variation, is true – the Audiffred Building stood as the sole survivor on this block. With three saloons on the ground floor and rented rooms above, the building became union headquarters for Andrew Furuseth’s Sailor’s Union of the Pacific. On July 6, 1934, International Longshoremen’s Union President Harry Bridges’ second floor office overlooked the site where longshoreman Howard Perry and Gene Olsen fell, shot by police. San Francisco Landmark number 7, the Audiffred Building is a National Registered Landmark.
Erected by San Francisco Art Commission for the Waterfront Transportation Projects.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1845.
Location.
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37° 47.612′ N, 122° 23.557′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Embarcadero. It is at the intersection of Embarcadero and Mission Street, on the right when traveling south on Embarcadero. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Embarcadero, San Francisco CA 94105, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on California’s Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Splendid Survivor (was about 700 feet away but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. This marker is embedded in the sidewalk in front of the Audiffred Building.
Also see . . . Audiffred Building -- Found SF. In the 1880s, San Francisco had the busiest waterfront on the west coast, a harbor filled with ships, a waterfront bustling with commerce,
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
2. Audiffred Building Marker
and shops serving every maritime need. The initial tenants of the Audiffred Building were the Sailors Union of the Pacific (SUP) upstairs and three saloons and a restaurant on the ground flood. (Submitted on March 26, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
3. Audiffred Building
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
4. Audiffred Building
Photographed by Adam Margolis, December 15, 2023
5. Audiffred Building Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,007 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 26, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 5. submitted on January 31, 2024, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
