Second and Howard Streets District
Why it's listed
This group of 22 properties lies in San Francisco's South of Market area, along Second Street, part of Howard Street, and the alleys of Natoma and Minna out to New Montgomery Street. Nineteen buildings contribute to the district. All were built between 1906 and 1912, during the rebuilding that followed the 1906 earthquake and fire. They are three to seven stories tall and built of masonry, about half in brick, two in terra cotta and the rest in stucco. Their Commercial Style design uses restrained Renaissance-Baroque ornament, mostly at the cornices. The area served the construction industry, and a 1910 directory lists plumbing suppliers, electrical firms, a terra cotta works, engineers, printers and chemists. Ground floors have often been altered for shops, while upper floors were typically lofts. The district was recognized for its architecture and for the consistent scale and character that survive, with works by architects such as the Reid Brothers and John Cotter Pelton. Two altered buildings and a vacant lot do not contribute.
Significance in brief: The district is significant at the local level under Criterion C, architecture, in the context of San Francisco's rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake and fire. It shows a continuity of building type, scale and style, with Commercial Style buildings that served the construction industry. Over 90% of the buildings contribute, and few comparable groups survive elsewhere in the city.
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 99000894, listed July 28, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 121-198 2nd, 579-612 Howard, 116 Natoma, 111-163 New Montgomery, San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | July 28, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000894 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1906-1912 |
| Architect / builder | Multiple: Reid Brothers, John Cotter Pelton, Cunningham & Politeo, Ross & Burgren, A. W. Smith, William Curlett, Herman Barth, Frank S. Van Trees, Henry A. Schulze, Washington J. Miller, John A. Ettler, and others |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style with limited Renaissance-Baroque ornament |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings are in use. The Greenwood Block at 137-163 New Montgomery is described as vacant, boarded up and in poor condition. 580 Howard was converted to residential use in a 1998 rehabilitation, and one lot is a vacant parking lot. |
| Acreage | 31 |
| Coordinates | 37.78713, -122.39892 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 99000894.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141642353
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.