Tubbs Cordage Company Office Building
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Why it's listed
This small frame office on the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco was built around 1890 for the Tubbs Cordage Company. It measures 21 by 26 feet, has redwood shiplap siding, a low hip roof with wood shingles, and four double-hung windows with bracketed hoods. It is painted a dark mineral red with white trim. Originally it stood at the company's factory at 611-613 Front Street. When the firm closed that factory in 1963, the building was offered to the State of California and moved to the pier, where it was restored. The company began in 1849 as a ships chandlery and in 1856 produced the first rope manufactured commercially west of New England. The office is considered San Francisco's last link with that maritime enterprise, and its Victorian industrial design adds architectural interest. Now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, it serves as an exhibit among historic ships and waterfront buildings of similar age.
Significance in brief: It is locally significant for its association with the Tubbs Cordage Company, whose San Francisco rope factory produced the first commercial rope on the Pacific Coast. It is also locally significant as an example of Victorian industrial/commercial architecture. It is described as San Francisco's last link with an early commercial maritime establishment.
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 79000254, listed November 6, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Hyde St. Pier, San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | November 6, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000254 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1890 |
| Architect / builder | Tubbs Cordage Company |
| Architectural style | Victorian industrial/commercial |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by the State of California after its move and exhibited at Hyde Street Pier; condition listed as excellent, altered and moved. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.80968, -122.42069 (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 79000254.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7850736
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.