Audiffred Building

The Audiffred Building is a three-story historic commercial building at the corner of Mission Street and the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. Constructed in 1889 for French-born businessman Hippolite d'Audiffret, who had established a charcoal business in San Francisco, it is one of the few surviving buildings on the land side of the city's waterfront. Its location gives it an unusual relationship with the Embarcadero: for decades the elevated Embarcadero Freeway obstructed views toward the bay, but after the freeway was removed following damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the building again directly faces the waterfront. Architecturally, the building is a compact example of late-nineteenth-century commercial design influenced by the Second Empire style. Its brick exterior includes projecting brick quoins, a wood-framed mansard roof covered with tiles, and a decorative diamond pattern on the upper level. Fluted cast-iron columns define the first floor, whose capitals incorporate a floral letter A. A nautical frieze on the eastern portion of the facade features maritime reliefs such as dolphins, lighthouses, sailing ships, and seahorses, reflecting the building's waterfront setting and commercial history. The ground floor originally accommodated a restaurant and three taverns. Around the turn of the twentieth century, the Bulkhead tavern was one of its best-known occupants, serving a dish called Bull's Head stew. The upper floors became particularly important to San Francisco's maritime labor movement. Until 1905, the building housed offices of the Coast Seamen's Union, later known as the Sailors' Union of the Pacific and associated with the broader development of organized seamen's labor in the United States. The building also accommodated organizations representing marine engineers, masters and pilots, pile drivers, and, briefly, the Industrial Workers of the World. The Audiffred Building played a role in major waterfront labor conflicts. It served as a headquarters during the 1901 City Front strike and again during the 1934 San Francisco waterfront strike, when the strike committee operated from the building. During the violence remembered as Bloody Thursday, sailors Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise were shot and killed by police outside the building. A memorial across the street commemorates the incident and the wider history of the 1934 conflict. Commercial uses continued alongside its labor associations. In 1928, an early branch of the Bank of Italy, the institution that later became Bank of America, moved into part of the first floor. The bank commissioned the building's maritime frieze. As the waterfront declined economically in the mid-twentieth century, the building took on a different cultural role. The Seven Seas Club, which provided services for homeless sailors, moved in during 1946. During the same period, artists and writers including Elmer Bischoff, Howard Hack, Frank Lobdell, Hassel Smith, Martin Snipper, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti used the upper floors as inexpensive studios and lofts. The spaces lacked electricity and were later condemned as unsafe in 1955. Ferlinghetti later recalled paying very low rent for a studio in the building, where he produced early tall paintings while relying on daylight and a potbellied stove for heat. The building suffered a major setback in 1978 when a gas-related fire gutted it. Demolition was considered, but public opposition helped preserve the structure. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, having already been designated San Francisco Landmark number 7 in 1968. A reconstruction added a domed penthouse. Real-estate developer Dusan Mills subsequently acquired the property, and William E. Cullen refurbished and remodeled it as office space in 1983 and 1984. Since 1993, the building has housed Boulevard restaurant. Today, the Audiffred Building functions less as a consumer brand than as a protected heritage property and hospitality address whose identity is rooted in San Francisco's maritime, labor, architectural, and artistic history.

The Audiffred Building was constructed in 1889 for Hippolite d'Audiffret, a Frenchman who had lived in Mexico before establishing a profitable charcoal business in San Francisco's Chinatown. Built at Mission Street and the Embarcadero, the structure served the city's waterfront economy from its earliest years. Its first-floor premises included a restaurant and several taverns, including the Bulkhead, which became known for Bull's Head stew. The upper floors developed an important connection with organized maritime labor. The Coast Seamen's Union occupied offices there until 1905, and the building later accommodated organizations representing sailors, marine engineers, masters and pilots, pile drivers, and other waterfront workers. It served as a headquarters during the 1901 City Front strike and the 1934 San Francisco waterfront strike. During the latter conflict, violence outside the building on Bloody Thursday resulted in the deaths of sailors Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise, whose memory is preserved by a nearby monument. In 1928, part of the first floor became an early branch of the Bank of Italy, the predecessor of Bank of America. The bank commissioned the nautical bas-relief frieze on the facade. The building's maritime visual language is also expressed through its fluted cast-iron columns, floral A capitals, brick construction, corner quoins, and tiled mansard roof modeled after late-nineteenth-century French Second Empire commercial architecture. The building's role changed as San Francisco's waterfront declined in the middle of the twentieth century. The Seven Seas Club, serving homeless sailors, moved into the property in 1946. Artists and writers also used the upper floors as inexpensive studios, including Elmer Bischoff, Howard Hack, Frank Lobdell, Hassel Smith, Martin Snipper, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The studios had no electricity and were condemned as unsafe in 1955. Ferlinghetti later described working there during daylight hours and paying a modest monthly rent for a studio. A gas fire gutted the building in 1978, and demolition was considered. Preservation efforts succeeded, and the building entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It had already been recognized as San Francisco City Landmark number 7 in 1968. Reconstruction added a domed penthouse. After its acquisition by real-estate developer Dusan Mills, William E. Cullen remodeled it as office space in 1983–1984. Since 1993, the property has housed Boulevard restaurant. The removal of the elevated Embarcadero Freeway after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake restored the building's direct visual relationship with the waterfront.

• 1993

  Boulevard restaurant opens at the site

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  Boulevard restaurant began occupying the building, a use that continues in the available reference material.

• 1983

  Reconstruction and remodeling begins

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  Following acquisition by Dusan Mills, the building entered a refurbishment and office conversion carried out during 1983–1984.

• 1979

  National Register listing

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The Audiffred Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1978

  Major fire

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  A gas fire gutted the building and prompted consideration of demolition.

• 1968

  San Francisco landmark designation

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The property became San Francisco City Landmark number 7.

• 1955

  Artist studios condemned

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  Upper-floor lofts and studios used by artists and writers were condemned as unsafe.

• 1946

  Seven Seas Club moves in

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The Seven Seas Club, which served homeless sailors, moved into the building as the waterfront economy declined.

• 1934

  San Francisco waterfront strike

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The strike committee for the 1934 waterfront strike used the building as its headquarters. The building was also associated with the violence of Bloody Thursday outside its doors.

• 1928

  Bank of Italy branch opens

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  An early Bank of Italy branch moved into part of the first floor and commissioned the building's nautical frieze.

• 1905

  Coast Seamen's Union leaves the building

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The Coast Seamen's Union, later associated with the Sailors' Union of the Pacific, occupied offices in the building until this period.

• 1901

  City Front strike headquarters

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The building served as a headquarters during the San Francisco City Front strike.

• 1889

  Construction of the Audiffred Building

  [1]Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The three-story commercial building was constructed for Hippolite d'Audiffret to support his San Francisco business interests.

A San Francisco historic landmark and waterfront hospitality property positioned through architectural preservation, maritime heritage, labor history, and cultural associations rather than through a conventional branded product portfolio.

• Architectural heritage property · 1889

  Historic commercial building

  The core offering of the Audiffred Building is its preserved historic architecture. The three-story brick structure uses a late-nineteenth-century Second Empire vocabulary, with a tiled mansard roof, projecting brick corner quoins, fluted cast-iron columns, and a maritime bas-relief frieze. The property combines protected architectural character with adaptive commercial use.

• Hospitality · 1993

  Boulevard restaurant premises

  Since 1993, the Audiffred Building has housed Boulevard restaurant. The restaurant is the building's principal publicly identified contemporary occupant in the available reference material and links the landmark's waterfront setting with a modern dining use.

• Cultural tourism

  Waterfront heritage setting

  The property's location at Mission Street and the Embarcadero, together with its associations with maritime unions, waterfront strikes, sailors, artists, and the post-earthquake transformation of the Embarcadero, makes it a significant heritage setting within San Francisco's waterfront landscape.

• 1993

  Restaurant-based adaptive reuseOther

  Background

  The restored landmark required an ongoing commercial occupant compatible with its waterfront setting.

  Action taken

  Boulevard restaurant began operating in the building.

  Aftermath

  The building continued as an active hospitality venue while retaining its historic identity.

  Source

• 1983

  Conversion to refurbished office spaceStrategy

  Background

  After reconstruction following the 1978 fire, the building required a viable contemporary use while retaining its historic character.

  Action taken

  After acquisition by Dusan Mills, William E. Cullen refurbished and remodeled the property as office space during 1983–1984.

  Aftermath

  The adaptive reuse preserved the building as a functioning commercial property before its later restaurant use.

  Source

• 1978

  Preservation rather than demolition after the fireStrategy

  Background

  A gas fire gutted the building, and demolition was considered because of the extent of the damage.

  Action taken

  Public preservation pressure led to the building being saved and subsequently reconstructed.

  Aftermath

  The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and reconstruction included a domed penthouse.

  Source

1. 1Audiffred Buildingen.wikipedia.org