The Montgomery (San Francisco) facts for kids
The Montgomery is a tall residential building located at 74 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco, California. It was designed by the Reid Brothers architects in 1914. This historic building has changed its purpose over the years, from a newspaper office to a modern home for many families.
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A Look Back: The Montgomery's Story
Built After a Big Fire
The Montgomery building was constructed in 1914. It was built after a very big event in San Francisco's history: the great earthquake and fire of 1906. This disaster caused a lot of damage across the city. The newspaper The San Francisco Call had its main office building, called The Call Building, badly damaged. Because of this, The San Francisco Call needed a new home.
A Hub for News
The people behind The San Francisco Call chose the spot for The Montgomery building very carefully. They wanted a central location that was easy for everyone to reach. This area quickly became a busy place for media and news companies. From 1914 to 1950, The Montgomery was the main office for The San Francisco Call. Sometimes, even other newspapers had offices there!
From Offices to Homes
After 1950, The Montgomery building continued to be used for offices. Many different businesses had their workspaces there for over 50 years. Then, in 2005, a group of developers decided to give the building a new life. They saw that the building was in a great spot, close to important areas like the Civic Center, the Financial District, and Union Square. They decided to turn the office building into a fancy residential building with apartments.
Modern Living at The Montgomery
Today, The Montgomery is home to 107 modern apartments. When the developers changed the building, they made many important updates. They put in new electrical systems, including special wiring for computers and internet. They also installed new windows that look classic and fit the building's original style.
Making it Stronger
One of the most important updates was a "seismic retrofit" to the building's foundation. San Francisco is in an area where earthquakes can happen. A seismic retrofit makes a building much stronger and safer during an earthquake. This update helps protect the people living there and keeps the historic building standing for many more years.
