“San Francisco does not have to choose between growth and preservation”

Welcome to June and to the 45 new members who joined Special City last month. We are in the home stretch to our Post to Park gala event taking place this Thursday, June 4, 2026 at the Presidio Theatre. Thank you to everyone who grabbed a ticket or sponsorship in support. It’s going to be a fun evening celebrating all things preservation in the Presidio.

It's not too late to: 

•  grab a ticket to the theatre show with code SFHVIP (seats are filling up fast!) 
• bid for fun items in our silent auction (closes Sunday, June 7!)  
• or make a donation at any level that will go towards our fundraising goal. 

Landmark Announcement

Last Thursday, May 28, 2026, SF Heritage was happy to join Mayor Daniel Lurie and Board of Supervisors president Rafael Mandelman for an announcement of a renewed commitment to preservation by the City of San Francisco.

At St. Matthew’s Church (3281 16th Street) in the Mission District, Mayor Lurie revealed a three-part package to strengthen historic preservation in San Francisco, including new budget resources to survey the city’s historic properties, legislation to streamline the landmark designation process, and a joint letter to the California Office of Historic Preservation requesting that San Francisco’s locally-designated landmarks be listed on the California Register of Historic Resources.

The package is expected to more than double the city’s number of designated landmarks by 2030 and ensure they receive consistent protection under state law.

These measures came out of conversations between President Mandelman’s office and SF Heritage while last year’s Family Zoning Plan was moving through the legislative process. A shared recognition that upzoning would make San Francisco’s undesignated historic properties more vulnerable led to fruitful meetings with the mayor and the city’s Planning Department.

“Less than one percent of San Francisco’s properties have historic designation compared to 3-5% in cities such as Boston, New York, and Los Angeles,” noted Woody LaBounty, SF Heritage’s President & CEO. “This is a great step forward in preserving San Francisco’s special places.”

San Francisco Heritage thanks Mayor Lurie and President Mandelman for their leadership and commitment to increasing historic designations in the city. We look forward to working closely with the Board of Supervisors, Historic Preservation Commission, and Planning Department on this effort.

Read the full press release from the Office of the Mayor.

Forced perspective

looking up at the Haas-Lilienthal House

We’re welcoming the summer season with a friendly reminder that one of our historic properties, the Haas-Lilienthal House (2007 Franklin Street), is open for public tours on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Even if you’ve taken the tour before, there are always different tidbits and details to learn on return visits.

We shared a few months ago that despite the brightly colored Victorians seen across San Francisco today, the original colors of these historic homes were usually muted. The paint on the Haas-Lilienthal House is matched to its original shade.

Our Queen Anne-style treasure has a wonderful combination of siding materials. If you look closely you’ll notice that while the second floor has rectangular shingles, the shape of those on the third floor are fish-scaled:

Notice also a feature common in many original multi-story Victorian homes: the windows on each successive floor are smaller than the lower, giving the illusion of a taller house. This forced perspective was nothing new and took inspiration from centuries-old architectural practices. For families making their mark in Gilded Age San Francisco these classic design features enhanced their home’s sense of grandeur and importance.

Sign up for an upcoming tour and learn more fun details like these from our amazing docents! Wednesdays at 12:30 pm and 2 pm, Saturdays at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm.

An oasis in a residence park

meet us in Balboa Terrace next week

Last month’s annual Legacy Business Mixer at Fior d’Italia (2237 Mason Street) was heartfelt and lively. The restaurant’s owners spoke to guests about what it meant to carry on an 140-year-old legacy, and SFH’s Woody declared the Legacy Business Registry “one of the best-run programs by the city of San Francisco.”

If you’d like a taste of homestyle Northern Italian cooking, head to the ground floor of the San Remo Hotel in North Beach for your next sit-down meal.

Next week, on Thursday, June 11, 2026 from 5-7 pm, we are back to our regular Heritage Happy Hour schedule and will travel deep into Balboa Terrace for a visit to the Gregangelo Museum (225 San Leandro Way).

Inside you’ll forget that you’re in the middle of a San Francisco residence park. Over four decades, Gregangelo Herrera and a team of dedicated artists have created an ever-evolving art lab within a restored Mediterranean Revival style home, which is also designated SF Landmark no. 318.

The museum’s magic even inspired Woody to harken back to his clown days to do some impromptu juggling while sharing the area’s history:

The varied, diverse character of the Legacy Business Registry is exemplified at the museum, and we are excited to continue branching out beyond bars for our happy hours. SF Heritage recently enjoyed partnering with the museum in our special “Shaken” program in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire, and we look forward to more fun events with them later in the year.

Register now to join us on June 11 for happy hour!

Legacy businesses spotlighted at SFPL

10 years of preservation and local economic culture

Above: "Rooted" exhibit promotional image featuring the Old Ship Saloon, Dark Garden Unique Corsetry, and Bimbo's 365. Courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library.

Over a decade ago, SF Heritage recognized that traditional preservation tools were ineffective in protecting the local institutions that give San Francisco its unique intangible cultural significance. Our groundbreaking educational program, Legacy Bars and Restaurants (2013), was a first-of-its-kind project that directly inspired the creation of the city-run Legacy Business Registry.

Today, the Legacy Business Registry is celebrating 10 years and has inspired nearly three dozen other cities to create similar programs. To commemorate this milestone, the San Francisco Public Library, in partnership with the Registry program and Office of Small Business, just launched an exhibit at the library’s Main Branch: “Rooted in San Francisco: 10 Years of the Legacy Business Program.”

From neighborhood institutions to family-run storefronts, the featured businesses represent the people and places that continue to define San Francisco’s commercial corridors, and explores the importance of preservation, continuity, and local economic culture in a rapidly changing city.

"Rooted" runs from now until August 21, 2026. SFPL Main Branch (100 Larkin Street), 4th Floor.

Metal mystery

where am I?

Our “Where Am I?” is very large and very visible from certain parts of San Francisco, but most people have never been anywhere close to it. We will share more on this historic site with our Local Hero and Landmark Club members next Special City email. (Sign up or update your account here)

You have heard a lot from us these past few weeks as we’ve prepped for Thursday’s gala program.

Thank you for continuing to read, engage, and support us. We appreciate you, Special City.

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.