Haas Candy Factory
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Why it's listed
Rising five stories at the corner of Mint and Jessie Streets in San Francisco, this reinforced concrete building clad in brick was completed in 1907 as a candy factory for George Haas & Sons. The firm, wiped out in the 1906 earthquake and fire, rebuilt quickly and used the factory for 21 years to supply its chain of retail stores, which grew to eight branches. The building was designed by William Curlett, a respected San Francisco architect known for bank, office and residential work. Industrial buildings by him are very rare; most have been demolished, and another attributed example was heavily altered. Details include corbelled cornices, string courses, segmental relieving arches and round-headed windows on the top floor. Later changes include painted brick, a rebuilt rear section after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and conversion to a restaurant and offices. It is valued locally as Curlett's best surviving industrial work.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion C as the work of master architect William Curlett. Industrial buildings are very rare in Curlett's known work, and this is the best surviving San Francisco example of that type by him. It also represents immediate post-1906-fire construction of a factory making candy of all types for the George Haas & Sons chain.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00001622, listed January 8, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 54 Mint St., San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | January 8, 2001 |
| Reference number | 00001622 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Curlett, William FAIA |
| Architectural style | Late 19th/Early 20th Century Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now holds a restaurant on the ground floor and offices above; the brick exterior has been painted and the rear elevation altered after earthquake damage in 1989. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.78275, -122.40784 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00001622.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q133458411
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.