St. Joseph's Hospital
.JPG){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Rising from the eastern slope below Buena Vista Park, this San Francisco hospital complex combines a six-story hospital, a chapel and a nurses' residence, joined by corridors that run mostly underground. Light ochre stucco walls and red tile roofs give it a Spanish Renaissance Revival look, restrained in ornament but large in scale. The long hospital wing bends twice to follow the hillside, and the chapel holds the only significant interior, with Arts and Crafts style murals and art glass windows. The hospital grew from a ten-room house given to the Catholic Church in 1889 and was run by Franciscan Sisters, who accepted patients regardless of religion or nationality. After the 1906 earthquake they fed thousands of homeless people. The present building, designed by Bakewell & Brown, opened in 1928 and closed in 1979 because of seismic requirements and efforts to reduce excess hospital beds. Its skyline presence and its architects account for its recognition.
Significance in brief: The complex is a visually prominent Spanish Renaissance Revival landmark on the San Francisco skyline. The hospital served the city for 90 years, accepting patients regardless of religion or nationality under the Franciscan Sisters. It was also one of the last major works of the architectural firm Bakewell & Brown.
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 85001016, listed May 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 355 Buena Vista Ave. East, San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | May 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001016 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926-1928 |
| Architect / builder | Bakewell & Brown |
| Architectural style | Spanish Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Hospital closed in 1979; the form lists the property as unoccupied and vacant. Exteriors are largely unchanged, while interiors other than the chapel are much altered. |
| Acreage | 2.8 |
| Coordinates | 37.76732, -122.43975 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85001016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7589188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.