The Montgomery Block

The big bronze says the building is preserved in memory of those who lived and worked in it. The small plate beneath it answers 1853 to 1959. In May 1959 its owners pulled the Montgomery Block down for a flat asphalt parking lot, and a dozen of its surviving gargoyles were offered at $50 apiece. For a century the four-story block had held lawyers and bankers, then painters, poets and writers. The Transamerica Pyramid rose on the corner a decade later, and the bronze moved indoors to its lobby.

What the plaque says

The Montgomery Block This, San Francisco's first fireproof building, erected in 1853 by Henry Wager Halleck, was the headquarters for many outstanding lawyers, financiers, writers, actors, and artists. James King of William, editor of the Bulletin, died here after being shot by James Casey, May 14, 1856. Escaping destruction in the fire of 1906, the building is preserved in memory of those who lived and worked in it. Historical Landmark No. 80 This plaque erected by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Society of California Pioneers. Montgomery Block 1853 – 1959

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Western Headquarters of Russell, Majors, and Waddell — steps away
• Site of the First Meeting of Freemasons Held in California — steps away
• First Jewish Religious Services — steps away
• Landing Place of Captain J. B. Montgomery — steps away