A landmark district of two histories and columns to love

Back-to-school season is here and Halloween items have already arrived in stores. In this issue of Special City: 

• Recent events photo recap
• Make your voice heard on a proposed historic district
• A bear Heritage Happy Hour
• A Where-Am-I from Woody
• Doors Open this weekend, an exclusive Autumnal Tea, and Car Barn book talk in Ingleside

Thank you!

You at our events

Above: Kim Lan Grout shares information Cameron House’s youth programming at “Clinker Brick and Community” on August 26, 2026.

We saw new and familiar faces during our whirlwind of events over the past month. From celebrating 152 years of Donaldina Cameron House at our third Page Memorial Lecture of the year to an immersive magic show at the Haas-Lilienthal House, you showed up to experience historic places in different ways.

Thank you again for coming and we hope to see you at our next events!

Your input desired

Make your voice heard on city preservation initiatives

SF Cultural Heritage, San Francisco’s historic preservation program within the San Francisco Planning Department, is hosting several upcoming events in support of their efforts to survey and designate historic resources across the city.

The SF Places (Landmark Designation) program, which SF Heritage has long partnered on and provided resources for, focuses on formal city recognition of historic places and creates a framework for review of any proposed significant changes. Coming up next week is the chance to learn more about a potential historic landmark district designation in the Castro.

Eureka Valley Commercial & Castro Village LGBTQ + Historic District Public Meeting  
Tuesday, September 8, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Eureka Valley Recreation Center (100 Collingwood Street)    
Join District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman at a community forum to review and discuss a proposed Eureka Valley Commercial & Castro Village LGBTQ+ Historic District. Planning staff will be on hand to go over the landmark designation process, associated preservation incentives and responsibilities, and opportunities for public participation in the process.

Can’t make it? Join a virtual version of this meeting the next day.
Tuesday, September 9, 5 PM to 6 PM  | Add this Zoom link to your calendar.

In addition, SF Cultural Heritage’s pop-up events (“SF Histories”) are coming to neighborhoods to identify important people, places, and traditions to inform the city’s survey work.

• Share stories, memories, and knowledge about places that matter to your communities.
• Take part in outreach, research, and engagement for research in progress.
• Identify places that may be good for landmark designation candidates.

A pop-up is coming to the Ingleside Neighborhood this month:

SF Histories Pop-up at Ocean Avenue Association’s Arts & Culture Block Party 
Saturday, September 19, noon to 2 PM  
Granada Avenue between Ocean & Holloway   
Share your stories and help identify important people, places, and traditions along Ocean Avenue and in Ocean View, Merced Heights, and Ingleside. For example, SF Cultural Heritage is seeking community members who can share information about former and current African American businesses in these neighborhoods. Community input will help update the African American Citywide Historic Context Statement and identify historic places. Stop by the SF Cultural Heritage booth at the block party, or reach out to Maggie Smith for more about his research at: maggie.smith@sfgov.org. 

“cold beers and hot bears”

meet us at Lone Star Saloon this week

Above: The patio at Lone Star Saloon in the South of Market.

Why do we celebrate and advocate for legacy businesses here at SF Heritage? Paula Tejada, owner of Chile Lindo, last month’s Heritage Happy Hour location, sums it up:

“I am so proud to be part of this wonderful community of small business owners who own Legacy Businesses, recognized for their commitment to their communities and their contributions to San Francisco...I want to thank SF Heritage for its invaluable work preserving what makes San Francisco, San Francisco. I can’t say enough about how important this work is for a business like Chile Lindo, which has always aimed to showcase Chilean culture and serve as a cultural bridge in San Francisco.”

Read Paula’s heartfelt newsletter tribute to the Legacy Business Program, and be sure to stop by Chile Lindo not only for empanadas, but delicious Chilean baked desserts.

Next Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 5-7 pm, we’re heading to the South of Market for Heritage Happy Hour at Lone Star Saloon (1354 Harrison Street). It’s Folsom Street Fair month (read Drew Bourn’s brief history for SF Heritage here) so our visit to this neighborhood bar is aptly timed!

Today located within the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, Lone Star Saloon was founded by Rick Redewell in 1989, who envisioned a space where working class, blue-collar gay men could gather and be celebrated. The bar is credited with launching in the 1980s and 1990s the now-global “bear” subculture among gay men and draws visitors from all over the world.

Lone Star is a beloved cultural gathering space and legacy business in the cultural district. Like bars and nightclubs such as Oasis, Powerhouse, SF Eagle, The EndUp, and The Stud, its importance to the LGBTQ+ community cannot be overstated.

Stop by for some drinks and bar snacks with current bar owners Bruce and Charlie during this festive month in SOMA. Register now to join us!

Columns to Love

where am I?

Ready for some guessing? Our San Francisco “Where Am I?” this month has some impressive front-door columns. You might think such a graceful building stands in slick Pacific Heights, but you would be incorrect.

Got it? There may be a clue hidden in the paragraph above to help you. We will share the location and more about this historic site with our Local Hero and Landmark Club members in the next Special City email. (Sign up or upgrade your account here)

Reminder: Doors Open California is this weekend!

On Saturday & Sunday, September 5-6, from 11 am - 2 pm each day, SF Heritage will open the storm doors at the Haas-Lilienthal House (2007 Franklin Street) for Doors Open California, a statewide celebration of historic places. This California Preservation Foundation program coordinates open days to over 75 sites for historic architecture, design, and cultural heritage enthusiasts, including you! This is a great opportunity to take friends and family to the HLH and pair it with a visit to another participating SF or Bay Area site. In addition, we’ll have a dedicated spot where you can learn more about joining our new cohort of volunteer docents, the heart of our public house tours.

Our event is free, but if you’d like full access to all the Doors Open sites this weekend, you can donate $20 to CPF here.

Announcing an Autumnal Tea at the Haas-Lilienthal House

On Saturday, September 12 at 11 am, our partners at the Gregangelo Museum will collaborate with SF tea establishment Crown & Crumpet for an exclusive, one-seating afternoon tea at the Haas-Lilienthal House.

Just eighteen guests will participate in a treasure hunt throughout the house to collect items for a personalized house-book keepsake and enjoy dedicated a table service of three-tiered savory and sweet treats and teas in the main parlors. This will be the first of several seasonal tea experiences this holiday season, so keep a look out for more to come! Tickets: $150 plus fees.

Also, a reminder that the San Francisco Historical Society and community partners will host Epicenter on Saturday, September 19, a self-guided walking tour exploring San Francisco’s extraordinary downtown and its many architectural gems. The tour includes exclusive access to 14 landmark buildings and beautiful historic interiors, including One Montgomery, the bank building that will soon become publicly accessible under new owners, EMPIRE. Tickets: Free-$25.

History and a Beer!

Did you miss our first Page Memorial Lecture at the Geneva Office Building and Powerhouse earlier this spring? Coming up on Thursday, September 24 at 7 pm at the Ocean Ale House (1341 Ocean Avenue) is a free book talk with Woody LaBounty and Alex Mullaney of the Ingleside Light. The pair will chat about the past and the future of one of the city’s most under-appreciated landmarks, which turned 125 earlier this year. Talk is free, but you will have to buy your own beer. (And maybe Woody’s).

Stay tuned for some big news in the coming weeks!

Founded in 1971, San Francisco Heritage is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that preserves and enhances San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Our programs and partnerships interpret, share, and celebrate the shared histories, landscapes, and communities of the city to instill optimism, belonging, and purpose.