Pacific Gas and Electric Company Substation J
Also known as: Station J
Why it's listed
Two adjoining brick buildings, built as electric substations in the heart of San Francisco's financial district, now form a small four-story office building. The smaller Sacramento Street building dates from 1908 and was designed by the utility's engineering department, with Henry C. Vensano signing the permit. The larger Commercial Street building followed in 1914, designed by architect Frederick H. Meyer. Its windowless Beaux Arts facade has corner rustication, generous moldings and a cartouche over a giant entry, and its frieze names the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The design reflects a company-wide architectural theme meant to project strength and reliability. Later uses included a bag warehouse, a cabaret and a restaurant annex. The interiors were lost through repeated remodeling, but the facades, brick side walls and basement survive. The new upper floors are set back to keep the older facade prominent. The property is also San Francisco Landmark No. 142 and anchors a local conservation district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of the consistent architectural theme Pacific Gas and Electric Company adopted for its substations. The larger 1914 Commercial Street building is an early example of the windowless Beaux Arts "City" type, designed by Frederick H. Meyer. The smaller 1908 building shows utility structures before that theme was adopted. It is also San Francisco Landmark No. 142 and an anchor of a local conservation district.
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 86003514, listed December 29, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 565 Commercial and 568 Sacremento Sts., San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | December 29, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003514 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1932 |
| Architect / builder | Frederick H. Meyer (1914); Henry C. Vensano (engineer, 1908) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts (Commercial Street facade); early 20th-century industrial with Romanesque elements (Sacramento Street facade) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; converted in the early 1980s to a four-story office building, with the original facades, side walls and basement retained and restored. The interiors were completely reworked. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.79408, -122.40252 (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 86003514.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.