South San Francisco Hillside Sign
Why it's listed
Large white letters spelling "SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL CITY" cover the southern slope of a 581-foot hill in Sign Hill Park. The three lines run 166, 484 and 628 feet long, with letters 48 to 65 feet tall, laid out so they appear evenly sized and spaced from a distance. The current sign was built of Gunite, sprayed cement over steel wire, and finished in May 1929 after a first whitewashed version from 1923 needed constant upkeep. The Chamber of Commerce promoted it to attract industry and new residents, and voters approved a special tax in 1928 to fund it after an earlier measure narrowly failed. City Engineer George A. Kneese laid out the first sign, and assistant city engineer Robert Klassen presented the plans for the concrete one. Visible from highways, railways, a race track and nearby aircraft routes, it became a lasting symbol of the city's industrial identity. The city maintains it, repainting the letters each year.
Significance in brief: The sign is significant under Criterion A for its role in promoting South San Francisco's identity as an industrial city, as part of 1920s city boosterism by the local Chamber of Commerce. It replaced a whitewashed 1923 sign and grew out of the traditions of electric Main Street slogan signs and hillside letters. The nomination also notes a possible link to aviation history, but says more research is needed.
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 96000761, listed July 11, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Sign Hill Park, N of Park Way, South San Francisco |
|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County |
| Listed | July 11, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000761 |
| Resource type | Object |
| Period of significance | 1929-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Kneese, George A.; Klassen, Robert A. |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Other |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition with regular city maintenance; letters are repainted annually. One letter "T" has slid about 40 inches. The remains of a 1930s electric sign (35 concrete footings) are not counted as a resource. |
| Acreage | 41 |
| Coordinates | 37.66429, -122.42116 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 96000761.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17061895
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.