Site of the Jenny Lind Theatre and San Francisco City Hall

The Annals of San Francisco called it a swindle. In 1852, over the protests of a mass meeting and the press, the common council and the county supervisors bought Tom Maguire's third Jenny Lind Theatre for $200,000 to make a city hall, then had every inside wall torn out and the interior rebuilt, work reckoned at nearly half as much again. The Annals held that a new hall could have been built for less. Maguire, pressed by his unpaid builders, cleared his debts with the money. Jenny Lind never sang here.

What the plaque says

Site of the Jenny Lind Theatre and San Francisco City Hall The third Jenny Lind Theatre was opened by Tom Maguire on October 4, 1851, on the same site as the two preceding it, which were destroyed in the fires of 1851. In 1852 the City of San Francisco purchased this theatre for use as the city hall. State Registered Landmark No. 192 Tablet placed by the California Centennials Commission with the cooperation of the Society of California Pioneers Dedicated November 15, 1949

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Eastern Terminus of Clay Street Hill Railroad — steps away
• Portsmouth Plaza — steps away
• First Public School — steps away
• Western Headquarters of Russell, Majors, and Waddell — steps away