{"nrhp_refnum":"95001384","name":"Matson Building and Annex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"215 Market St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Francisco","county":"San Francisco","state":"CA","lat":37.79260977000007,"lon":-122.39628809099997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-11-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A sixteen-story terra cotta-clad office building with a seven-story Annex at 215 Market Street, San Francisco, at the corner of Market and Main Streets. The original building was designed by Bliss & Faville and built 1922-1924; the Annex was added 1945-1947.","why_significant":"The nomination argues local significance under Criterion C as a very fine example of the large terra cotta-clad office building of 1920s downtown San Francisco, designed as a column with base, shaft and capital. It forms a complementary pair with the adjacent PG&E General Office Building. Under Criterion A it served as headquarters of the Matson Navigation Company, a leading carrier between the West Coast and Hawaii.","narrative":"Sixteen stories of cream-colored terra cotta rise at 215 Market Street in San Francisco, where the Matson Building and its Annex occupy a corner at Market and Main Streets. Architects Bliss & Faville designed the original building, completed between 1922 and 1924, and an Annex by engineer Leland Rosener, built 1945-1947, closely duplicated it. Renaissance-inspired detailing is mixed with nautical ornament, including a Viking ship cartouche, anchors and dolphins, referring to the Matson Navigation Company, the building's first major occupant and a leading carrier between the West Coast and Hawaii. Gladding, McBean manufactured the terra cotta. The building is considered a fine example of the 1920s tall office building and pairs with the neighboring PG&E building, whose story heights and cornice lines align with it. A 1993-1995 seismic retrofit strengthened the structure while preserving the facade and several historic interior rooms. Its architecture and its role in Hawaii shipping support its local significance.","period_of_significance":"1922-1947","architect_builder":"Architect: Bliss, Walter D. & Faville, Wm. B.; Engineer: Rosener, Leland S. (Annex); Builder: Lindgren Co.","architectural_style":"Late 19th and early 20th century Revivals: Italian Renaissance","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Seismic retrofit and substantial remodelling were carried out in 1993-1995; the exterior retains integrity and the building is listed with current commercial/business use.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.974537-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/95001384.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001384/dd0edaae37-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001384/dd0edaae37-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matson_Building_%26_Annex_(San_Francisco).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matson_Building_%26_Annex_(San_Francisco).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861204","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matson_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18154173"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-francisco/matson-building-and-annex-95001384/"}