Saint John's Presbyterian Church
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Why it's listed
Saint John's Presbyterian Church occupies the southwest corner of Arguello Boulevard and Lake Street in San Francisco's Richmond District. Completed in 1905 to designs by Dodge & Dolliver, it is clad in painted brown shingles and combines a square castellated steeple tower, a hexagonal tower and Gothic-shaped stained glass openings. Donor A. W. Foster paid for the land and building on condition that the interior re-create the congregation's first church of 1866 and second of 1889. Pews, a rose window, a mahogany screen, the pulpit arch, an organ shipped around Cape Horn from Boston in 1872 and memorial windows were moved into the new building. A Sunday School addition followed in 1913, with a second story added in 1949. The church is the only one designed by its architects and remains well preserved. It was listed for its architecture and for its role as an early landmark of a newly settling neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the church as a creative 1905 adaptation of the Shingle Style that combines Gothic and Romanesque elements, and as the only church designed by the Dodge & Dolliver partnership. It also holds interior features, windows, pews and an organ carried over from the congregation's earlier 1866 and 1889 churches. The building is little altered and marks the early settlement of the Richmond 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 95001555, listed January 22, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Lake St. and 201 Arguello Blvd., San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | January 22, 1996 |
| Reference number | 95001555 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Dodge & Dolliver (George A. Dodge and J. W. Dolliver) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Shingle Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained, in excellent condition and little altered over its 90 years; still in religious use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.78661, -122.45959 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 95001555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588812
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.