James C. Flood Mansion
Description and history
The Flood Mansion occupies an entire city block on Nob Hill, bounded by California, Cushman, Mason, and Sacramento streets. The block is fenced on three sides by bronze fencing installed at the time of the mansion's construction. It is a large masonry structure, three stories in height, its exterior finished in brownstone quarried in Portland, Connecticut and shipped around Cape Horn. It is an elaborate expression of Classical Revival architecture, with corner quoining, a balustraded roof edge, and windows framed by pilasters and elaborate pediments. The main entrance, facing California Street, is sheltered by a broad and deep three-bay portico supported by clustered square columns.
The mansion was built by James C. Flood, who made his fortune in the silver mines of Nevada. His inspiration for the building was the Gilded Age mansions he saw on the East Coast of the United States, so he commissioned one from architect Augustus Laver. Completed in 1888, it was one of his homes until his death in 1889, and was occupied by his daughter when it was gutted during the 1906 earthquake and fire. She sold the shell of the building to the Pacific-Union Club, which originally contemplated tearing it down. It ended up commissioning Willis Polk to design alterations including a third floor and a new interior. These alterations included the use of additional brownstone, furnished from the same quarries as the original material.
The mansion was the only one on Nob Hill to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire; the other mansions on the hill were built of wood, with finishes that gave them the appearance of stone, and were destroyed.
See also
- List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks
- List of National Historic Landmarks in California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco
References
- ^ "City of San Francisco Designated Landmarks". City of San Francisco. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "James C. Flood Mansion". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
- ^ James Dillon (April 24, 1976) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: James C. Flood Mansion / Pacific Union Club, National Park Service and Accompanying 1 photo, exterior, from 1961.
External links
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. CA-1230, "James Clair Flood Mansion, 1000 California Street, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA", 3 photos, supplemental material