Sherbet Dreams and H Marks the Spot
Get ready, Special City Local Heroes and Landmark Club members. For you today we have:
- Woody shares a “where am I?” earthquake-related reveal
- A triangle of buildings miraculously spared from the 1906 inferno
- Kerri shares a favorite off-menu treat from a legacy business
- A new round of proposed District 7 landmarks revealed
Not a member of the Special City paid levels? Upgrade today and get all the news, all the time, from SF Heritage. (And read this whole amazing email.)
But first, events!
Car Barn Tonight
Tonight at 6:30 pm, we’re excited to host a special celebration inside one of the city’s most under-appreciated historic complexes: The Geneva “Car Barn” and Powerhouse (2301 San Jose Avenue).
While we have officially reached capacity, you are welcome to stop by and seats will be prioritized for those who registered. We’re very happy about how our limited-edition posters turned out, which attending Local Hero and Landmark Club members will receive:
Let’s Talk about the DL Next Wednesday
This past Monday was 4/20, and we’re thinking about the cheeky reference to cannabis culture affixed to the corner of SFH’s Doolan-Larson House and Storefronts: a corner clock perpetually stuck at 4:20.
The clock was installed by Holcombe Jewelers, a business that occupied the building’s corner storefront from the 1950s-1980s. Norm Larson, the landmark building’s longtime owner, set the time in homage to the counterculture movement that continues to shape the spirit of the Haight-Ashbury.
In 2026, we’re awaiting proposals from teams excited to honor and reimagine how this historic building can continue to serve the neighborhood, the city, and the world famous intersection.
You’re invited to a free public meeting next week to hear how their plans are developing and offer your thoughts. Please join us!
Wednesday, April 29 at the Park Branch Library (1833 Page Street)
Celebrate the Presidio with us on June 4
Our gala program on June 4, 2026, in partnership with the Presidio Trust and the American Indian Cultural District, will be a celebration of transformative preservation work in the Presidio over the past 30 years (which includes the night’s beautiful venue, the Presidio Theatre).
Sign up to join us at Post to Park and support our important mission at the same time. Individual VIP sponsorships are $250. Bring your friends, your whole team, and show your love for SF Heritage and the Presidio at higher levels!
Thursday, June 4 at the Presidio Theatre (99 Moraga Avenue).
Survivors
Above: a man cooks on a makeshift street stove on Franklin Street near Washington in 1906, the Haas-Lilienthal House seen intact in the distance.
Last week, SF Heritage commemorated the 120th anniversary of San Francisco’s April 18, 1906 earthquake and fire with a virtual program on the more than 5,000 relief cottages built for refugees after the disaster (watch the recording), and two unique immersive performances at the Haas-Lilienthal House (2007 Franklin Street) with the Gregangelo Museum/Velocity Arts.
The star of “Earthquake: Shaken but Standing Strong!” was the Haas-Lilienthal House itself, a survivor of the both the earthquake and the great fires which were stopped just a block from the property.
Some structures had even closer calls. The three photos below, a panorama shown in last week’s earthquake cottage presentation, demonstrate how destructive the fire was to the Inner Mission District.
Read it all by joining at Local Hero or Landmark Club level!
