Unofficial Historical Website for the Palace Hotel, San Francisco.
Unofficial Historical Website for the Palace Hotel, San Francisco.
Above left: The completed Palace Hotel, taken between 1875 & 1879. Above right: Views of the Grand and Palace Hotel on Market Street looking west. Click to enlarge.
Brief History: The vision for the Palace Hotel belonged to one William C. Ralston, who made his money during the gold rush and through the Bank of California. His ultimate goal was to turn San Francisco into a luxurious city on the west coast, and since the city lacked a world class hotel, the Palace Hotel was to be the last of the great buildings he constructed. Unfortunately, he would never see the finished hotel. Hours after the Bank of California collapsed in August of 1875, Ralston went for his usual swim in the San Francisco Bay and never returned. While rumored he committed suicide after losing it all, an autopsy ruled he died of a stroke. Senator Sharon took on all of Ralston's debts and continued the completion and ownership of the hotel.
The Palace Hotel was open for long-term residents to move in on October 2nd, 1875, but was formally opened to guests and visitors on October 16th, making it the largest hotel in the world. The building covered 2.5 acres and featured 755 guest rooms, a top floor Conservatory, Billiard Room, private dining rooms, Wine Room, Reception Rooms, Drawing Rooms, and several other public spaces that left no expense spared.
The main entrance was a grand, gated porte cochere on New Montgomery Street. It was a unique concept to have horses pull their coaches directly into the hotel itself onto a marble-paved floor. For those who wish to read the comprehensive timeline of the Palace Hotel, please click on the top tabs by year or visit Bruce Cooper's Palace Hotel site from the links on the home page.
Below: The original blueprints / building plans for the Palace Hotel of 1875. These were originally published in the California Spirit of the Times and Underwriters' Journal in the late 1870s / early 1880s. Luckily, a very high resolution copy of these plans are kept by Stanford University in their Department of Special Collections and Archives. These can be downloaded for free HERE. I had these blown up onto a 24"x36" poster for framing and they came out fantastic! A rare glimpse into what the original layout of the hotel looked like. The most interesting things shown are a staircase from the Central Court up to the second floor and a fountain in the central court. While early sketches showed what this would've looked like, both were never built.
The Palace Hotel's architect, John Gaynor, knew about the risk of earthquakes in San Francisco, and their frequency. He designed the hotel to be as earthquake proof as possible for the time with many reinforcements throughout and a large cistern under the building that held 675,000 gallons of water.
The Palace withstood the initial earthquake quite well, receiving some structural damage and most of the glass within was shattered. Soon after, however, fires began to spread throughout the city. The staff were confident they could save the hotel, hosing the roof and surrounding areas down with water. Unfortunately, by the time the fire reached the Palace Hotel, the cistern was out of water and the staff had no choice but to evacuate with the remaining guests. Soon, the Palace was burning. After a 3 day fire, all that was left was a burnt out shell. Her lavish fittings, silver, and china settings were gone.
Once the fires were out, there was a debate whether to rebuild the Palace with the current shell, or demolish the old building and rebuild a new hotel. The decision was eventually made to teardown the superstructure that was left and rebuild brand new. Before long, there were only four columns left on Market Street remaining of the old Palace. Soon, steel beams and concrete took the place of the rubble. The original cistern was the only portion of the old Palace to be saved and is currently under the new Palace Hotel.
The current Palace Hotel was completed in 1909 at a cost of $10 million dollars. It featured 550 rooms across nine stories and was built on the same property as the first. The grandest room in the hotel was the Palace Palm Court, or currently known as the Garden Court and GC Lounge. Over 8,000 square feet, 70,000 pieces of glass, extensive use of Italian marble, and 20 chandeliers make this room world-famous. As of 2019, the large chandeliers were worth $85,000 each, with the smaller ones worth $15,000 each.
The room has hosted countless historical and grand events throughout its 111 year history and still welcomes awe-inspired guests into its space.
Countless guests have been entertained throughout the years at the Palace as seen with a dinner in 1945 on the left and dancing in the Grand Ballroom on the right.
After years of use, the Palace soon began to show its age and was in dire need of restoration. The hotel was closed to guests in January of 1989 to be restored to its original splendor. The Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17th of that year cause significant damage to the hotel, but eventually, the restoration was completed at $150 million.
Mascot Copper Company Banquet - January 14th, 1912
Palace Hotel. Internet sourced.
Dinner in the Garden Court, Palace Hotel, December 15th, 1951
Honoring Mr. A.T. Mercier
On his retirement from the presidency of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company after 48 years with the railroad. Internet sourced.
List of Palace Hotel Managers.
One of my research goals was to find the complete line of managers at the Palace from 1875 to the present. I was able to do so up until the 1940s, when information began to wane on the subject. After 1960, there was very little to go on. The Palace Hotel Company came into being on April 24th, 1907, operating the Palace, Fairmont, and St. Francis Hotels. On November 26th, 1915, F.G. Drum succeeds Sharon as president. D.M. Linnard takes over from November 18th, 1918 to December 18th, 1919. The company was dissolved in 1925 and the Palace was run by the Sharon Estate Company.
Original Palace Hotel Managers:
Warren Leland Sr. - September 1875 to July 1st, 1878.
Henry H. Pearson - August 27th, 1878.
Alexander D. Sharon - February 22nd, 1880.
G.H. Smith - Mentioned as the manager on January 27th, 1883, but I believe this is a misprint. He was the chief clerk at the hotel.
John Sedgwick - Succeeds A.D. Sharon as Palace manager on May 10th, 1883. He left on November 2nd, 1883.
A.D. Sharon - November 2nd, 1883 to March 1st, 1886.
George Schonewald - Became manager on March 1st, 1886.
C.H. Livingston - April 1st, 1887. A.D. Sharon retires due to health. Livingston resigns October 31st, 1889.
S. F. Thorn - November 1st, 1889 to January 18th, 1891. Retires due to health.
Capt. Percy C. Smith - Took over by February 1st, 1891. Leaves March 28th, 1893.
John C. Kirkpatrick & G.B. Warren - March 31st, 1893. Initially, it lists Warren as manager, and Kirkpatrick as managing director of the Sharon Estate, however, future articles refer to Warren as assistant manager and Kirkpatrick as manager.
*Palace & Grand Hotels sold to Francis G. Newlands as trustee of Sharon Estate.
John C. Kirkpatrick will manage the Palace up to the earthquake and fire in 1906. He will continue to manage the Little Palace Hotel in 1907 and will take over management of the new Palace in 1909.
New Palace Hotel Managers:
John C. Kirkpatrick - 1909 to his death on November 5th, 1914.
Charles A. Cooke - November 16th, 1914 to April 23rd, 1915.
Obadiah Rich - April 23rd, 1915 to November 26th, 1915.
Roy Carruthers - November 26th, 1915 to December 31st, 1918.
Halsey Manwaring - December 31st, 1918 to his death June 26th, 1933.
Archibald H. Price - August 19th, 1933 to October 27th, 1938.
William P. Taylor - October 27th, 1938 to April 20th, 1940.
Charles Stanley Sackett - Likely May 1st, 1940 to August 1st, 1941. *While it is known he was a manager at the Palace, he is never mentioned in newspapers aside from his death in 1952. The only gap in managers I have found is during this time, so I am assuming he was manager here.
Edmund A. Rieder - August 28th, 1941 is the first mention of him being manager. He left sometime in 1960, but the exact date is not known.
Harvey Watson - Believed to have taken over in 1960 as manager, but not known for how long.
*After this point, there are few mentions of managers at the Palace. The ones that are, are as follows:
Morgan J. Smith - Noted as manager May 6th, 1963 & December 23rd, 1963.
Van Woodworth - April 22nd, 1983.
Debra Barton - April 12th, 1992.
Clif Clark - June 1st, 2018 to January 12th, 2023
Angie Clifton - January 12th, 2023 to present.
San Francisco, a Trip down Market Street, April 14, 1906.
Filmed 4 days before the earthquake and fires, these may be the last images of the original Palace Hotel ever taken. The building comes into view on the right around 4:00 and the trolley passes in front of it around 6:00. Below are two screenshots of the hotel with the Ferry Building straight ahead.
The following images of the Palace Hotel come from the Berkeley Library, University of California, Library Archives online.
Photos are credited from this website and the original photographer is listed as Herman Davis, 1906.
The second photo by E.E. Ford is a postcard that I have in my collection.
Below: A collection post card photograph of the new Palace Hotel before it even opened. Dated May 30th, 1909, the 7 months before the hotel officially opened its doors. The back reads "When you saw this row of buildings there was nothing but twisted scrap iron and skeletons from work when I was here 16 months ago. It is marvelous how the city is building up in the old business xx."
Collection items from the original Palace Hotel: Envelope with the return address of Palace Hotel San Francisco, A.D. Sharon, Lessee. Postmarked January 2, 1882. Invitation to Issac Morse, ruling class San Franciscan who owned canning factories in California. Arrived from Massachusetts in the late 1850s. Invitation was to attend the first annual SF Chamber Of Commerce Banquet at the Palace Hotel on Thursday May 5th 1887. Across the top of the invitation: Oro en Paz Fierro en Guerra " Gold in Peace Iron In War " the official San Francisco Motto. Ripped envelope from the Palace Hotel. Postmarked June 18th, 1891. Business card for Union Gas-Electric Co., Palace Hotel.
*Click each image to enlarge.
- No. 1: This is an artist rendering of the hotel's porte cochere after the hotel's opening in 1875.
- No. 2: The Palace's Central Court shortly after it was opened, 1875/1876.
- No. 3: April 8th, 1879, the new Yosemite Coach is placed in the Central Court of the Palace for exhibition.
- No. 4: A photo of the Central Court on the ground floor.
- No. 5: I found this photo online showing the details of the central court hallway with a fountain high above. A rare view indeed!
- No. 6: The central court set up for President Hayes visit September, 1880.
- No. 7 through 9: The peristyle and palm trees shortly after being installed around 1890. The craftsmanship seen on the pillars was exquisitely done as was everything else in the hotel.
- No. 10: The new Court Cafe in 1890.
- No. 11: A hand tinted image of the Palace Court, dated 1900. While I never found out when exactly the original date palm was installed, this is the earliest reference to it.
- No. 12: The group photo of John Philip Sousa and the U.S. Marine Band at the Palace Hotel - April 1892.
- No. 13: A postcard of the original date palm in the Central Court. Between 1900 and 1902.
- No. 14 & 15: The conversion of the Central Court into an enclosed lounging area. Likely due to the smell of horses, and one would assume automobiles by this time which were also entering the court, it was decided to enclose this space. Work began tearing up the court on September 11th, 1902 and was completed on April 3rd, 1903. The "Grand Reception Court" was covered in marble floors, and had a large palm tree in the middle. The palm wasn't doing as well, and could be seen losing its fronds from the last postcard to these two.
- No. 16 & 17: On June 14th, 1903, the old palm was nearly dead and it was decided to replace it with a smaller, yet more hardy variety. This new palm is evident in these later postcards dating 1903 to 1905.
- No. 18: The Palace Hotel had an Aeolian pipe organ installed on the second floor on January 30th, 1905. This is the only known photo of it, since it would be destroyed in just 15 months.
Below: "One of the famous cafes in the Palace Hotel - noted far and wide for its perfect service and unexcelled cuisine. The Palace Hotel is thoroughly modern and up-to-date with steam heat, room telephones, and compressed air cleaning plant. Every convenience. Moderate prices."
This fantastic photograph was published in a 1905 San Francisco sightseeing booklet. It features the Courtyard Grill set up for dinner with china and silver on the tables and waiters at the ready to serve discerning customers. This is the first photograph I've seen that shows examples of the dinnerware used in the original hotel.
Additional views of the interior of the Palace Hotel:
No. 1 - The Palace Hotel is an imposing site when first constructed. Internet sourced.
No. 2 - One of the Oriental trading shops on the main floor of the Palace Hotel. Internet sourced.
No. 3 - The Market Street entrance to the Palace City Restaurant / Gentleman's Business Lunch Room, later Men's Grill Room. Collection of Glenn D. Koch.
No. 4 - The original Banquet Room, 1875.
No. 5 - Originally the Banquet Room, here The Palace City Restaurant / American Dining Room in 1891. Featuring 12 chandeliers with 25 globes each. Internet sourced.
No. 6 & 7 - Views of the 1875 Main Dining Room, later the Palace Cafe / Ladies' Grill Room.
No. 8 - Gentleman's Business Lunch Room, later Men's Grill Room.
No. 9 - Rare photograph of guests, waiters, and chefs in the Men's Grill Room. Collection of Glenn D. Koch.
No. 10 - Colorized view of the top Conservatory floor of the Palace. On display on the Mezzanine Level of the Palace Hotel.
No. 11 - Online view of the top floor in 1880 - courtesy Calisphere.org.
No. 12 - Stereoscope card view of the Conservatory floor. A little-known fact is that each of the four statues in the corners represent the four seasons.
The new Palace Hotel Palm Court.
A San Francisco souvenir plate done in pink and gold. Clockwise, it features Ocean Beach Cliff House and Seal Rocks, Fairmont Hotel, Union Ferry Depot, and The Palace Hotel. Made by Wheelock Germany for Chas. Brown & Sons, San Francisco, Cal.
It is interesting that the plate has the 1896 Cliff House which burned in a spectacular fire in 1907, yet it has the new Palace Hotel, which wasn't completed until 1909.
December 13th, 1954. A packet sent to Edward J. Schultheis in State College, PA from Richard E. Paltenghi, Sales Manager of the Palace Hotel.
This great little piece of history has a beautiful version of the PH logo on the return address I have not previously seen. Mr. Schultheis was studying to become a hotel administrator and requested information on the Palace Hotel. Mr. Paltenghi sent him this letter, along with a 6 page document on the history of the hotel which features some information I did not previously know about the original and new hotel buildings.
While the original letter states that the contents of the envelope included brochures and a holiday article, unfortunately, these pieces were lost and not included with the lot. However, the most important pieces still remain - a 1st and 2nd floor blueprint of the hotel! Shown below, the 1st floor was printed on vellum and the 2nd floor is standard paper. It is interesting to compare the plans for both the original and new hotels.
Palace Hotel postcard sent to Miss Mabel Benjamin on April 27th, 1906 - just 8 days after the hotel was destroyed.
Large 8x5" Taber photograph taken c1880s.
Below: Glass lantern slide of the Palace Hotel. "No. 4893. California San Francisco Palace Hotel 2." The image with the label is reversed. The second image is shown correctly with New Montgomery Street to the left, Market Street to the right. The image is so clear, you can read the sign on the bottom left: Apothecaries Hall.
In 1894, the Palace Hotel had its most beautiful photo-booklet souvenir printed by Bonestell & Co, SF. Measuring 9"x7" and bound together with a string, it features 14 pages of photographs from the Palace Hotel, one of the Hotel Del Monte, one of the Tavern of Castle Crag, and one from Golden Gate Park. Between each page is a tissue paper sheet with text describing the rooms of the hotel to the right. On the back side of the photos are advertisements for Gorham Silver, Pacific Coast Steamship Company, Pommery Sec Champagne, Napa Valley Wine Company, Moet & Chandon, and more!
Bruce Cooper also has a variation of this same souvenir on his site with a more intricate cover and 12 photographs. While his is not dated, it is a slightly later publication as it mentions the Maple Hall, which wasn't created until 1895. The rooms in that one aren't accurate however. What is noted at the Maple Hall and Tapestry Room actually shows the Palace Cafe. Also featuring previously unseen images, it showcases some of the machinery of the hotel, as well as photos of different rooms not seen before.
Perhaps the rarest photograph is the last one shown - the fire department for the Palace Hotel! They are shown practicing with their equipment on the Conservatory Floor in 1894. One would imagine many of these same men would try valiantly to save the burning hotel in 1906, only to escape when the cistern dried out.
A previously unseen angle of the Little Palace, Collection Postcard.
Above: The new Palace Hotel under construction from 1908. The first two photographs are from the Facebook group "San Francisco History to the 1920's" The first is courtesy of calisphere.org, 1908, "Market St. (South side) E. from Chronicle Building, Palace Hotel." The second was posted by Philip Williams in the group, where the main structure of the hotel is completed. The third is from my collection. A large 9x7" photograph of the hotel with its front facade completed on August 7th, 1908.
Another unique image of the demolition of the old Palace Hotel. Courtesy of calisphere.org.
Six colorized postcards showing the new Palace Hotel in 1909.
A vintage 1950s brochure for the Palace Hotel, where you could stay for $11.50 a night! Followed by a Sheraton Palace Hotel brochure for the buffet dinner in the Garden Court.
Research of Note: On April 30th, 1886, the exterior of the Palace Hotel is painted a soft pink / gray. Below is a postcard believed to be with the color shown.
Complete envelope and letter written at the Palace Hotel on May 6th, 1887
It is obvious the woman writing the letter has lost almost everything she owned whether it be in a fire or other.
Listed on the back as being taken in 1909, this stereoscopic image was from a presidential visit to the Palace Hotel sometime after it's opening. While I am not sure of the date, it definitely isn't from the 1909 reopening, as the decor is completely different from that evening.
Palace Hotel postcard sent to Mr. L.F. Grashel on May 26th, 1096 from San Francisco. Return address PO Box 714, SF. The sender wrote on the front "On April 17, 1906" showing how everything looked the day before it was all destroyed.
Research of Note: November 2nd, 1889: The gas lamps in the court will be turned on for the first time in 10 years. Rarely lit, they were used for Casser's Military Band. The last time they were lit was for General Grant in 1879.
Three 5"x8.5" original photographs of the Palace Hotel. The first is by Perkins, 333 Hayes St, SF # 767 of the exterior of the hotel. The last two are of different views of the "Court Cafe" by A.J. McDonald, SF. The Court Cafe and peristyle in the central court were constructed as part of the 1890 renovations to the hotel. The latticework at the top of the columns on the first floor was also added at this time. These images were taken shortly after this conversion, but before furniture was added to the cafe. C1890/1891.
Panoramic photo of San Francisco burning.
The Palace is circled below:
98% of the images of the remains of the Palace Hotel are from postcards made at the time. There aren't too many unpublished photographs of the ruins taken by everyday San Franciscians. This is one of the few I found and was able to purchase. A 1906 photo of a person standing by the ruins of the hotel that appears to have been taken on New Montgomery Street looking towards Market.
A large 7x10" photograph of the burnt out remains of the Palace Hotel.
Right: Republican League of California card from the Palace Hotel, May 5th 1892. Features toasts and committees on a rigid card with gold around the edges.
Far Right: 1897 postcard of the Palace Hotel and Court Cafe.
Below: A Jersey Coffee Photo Lithographic View Card of the "Court Palace Hotel, San Francisco, U.S.A." Next to that, a photograph of the same space at the main entrance as it was built in 1875.
Typical of California.
The Palace Hotel, San Francisco.
Made famous by its sensible rates and efficient service.
Room rate card c1910 when the Fairmont Hotel and Palace Hotel were both run under the Palace Hotel Company.
Small 2" high Souvenir of San Francisco, Cal cup. Made of bronze or brass possibly with staining due to age, I wasn't going to try to clean it up. Features the Ferry Building, Cliff House, Palace Hotel, St. Francis, and Mission Dolores. c1910s. No makers mark, but identical pieces were made by M. N. Co., Japan.
Three stereoscopic images of the ruins of the Palace Hotel and of the demolishing of buildings on Market Street.
Letter sent from the Palace Hotel on August 17th, 1918.
Palace Hotel Page Boy Charles Aaron delivering messages to movie stars Lyle Talbot & June Lang. February 18th, 1938.
If anyone knows where I can get a hold of one of these uniforms (or bellman uniform / cap), please email me!
Right: Artist rendering of The Grand Court of the Palace Hotel before it was built. While the ornate staircase and fountain were on the original plans, they were never included in the finished hotel. Image: Alamy
Far Right: A large Taber photograph of what the Grand Court looked like upon completion. View is from the opposite end as the first image.
Scientific American, Vol XXXIII - No. 16. October 16th, 1875.
Features an article on the newly opened Palace Hotel.
The Palace Hotel. Visitors to San Francisco will hereafter be struck with a new and conspicuous feature in the face of the young giant town. Seven stories high, with a base of 96,250 square feet, at the corner of Market and New Montgomery Streets, now looms up the Palace Hotel. Its huge brick walls are ribbed from the top to bottom with tiers of bay windows, and spotted like the sides of an ironclad with bolt heads that clinch the great rods running over and under and through and through the building, making it a kind of Cyclopean open work iron safe, filled in and lined with fireproof brick, where all treasure of human life and limb should be secure against fire or earthquake while the Peninsula stands. It is, indeed, to this element of security that we would draw special attention, while so many buildings are going up today in our great cities, which are a disgrace in flimsy and tawdry pretension, and a danger in their inflammable and carelessly thrown together materials.
The whole work of constructing this hotel was done by the day's work and not by the piece, and so done carefully and well. Seventy-one partition walls of brick run from the foundation up through the roof, and two feet above it, and the roof is of tin. There are four artesian wells, two in each outer court, with a tested capacity of 28,000 gallons of water per hour. Under the center court is a 630,000 gallon reservoir, with walls of brick and cement five feet thick and buttressed. On the roof are seven tanks of boiler iron, with an aggregate capacity of 128,000 gallons. Seven steam pumps force this water through the whole house by a system of arteries and mains, with 392 outlets in the corridors, provided in each case with three inch hose, from 10 to 100 feet in length, with nozzles. Under the sidewalks without the building, there are eight four inch fire mains connecting with the city water, by means of which the city engines can, if found necessary at any time, force water into the hotel mains.
In every room and passage there is an automatic fire alarm, by which any extraordinary heat will be instantly and noisily known at the central office of the hotel; and six watchmen will patrol day and night every part of the structure, and touch, half hour by half hour, at seventy-nine stations, which will report by electricity and fix the place and time of a dereliction of duty.
Through the heart of the hotel from top to bottom runs a fire brick tunnel, within which is a solid brick and iron staircase opening on each floor. In five like tunnels are five elevators, run by hydraulic power, besides six additional stairways from garret to basement. Wood is avoided where possible. In the construction of kitchen, oven room, bakery, store rooms, steam pump room, water heating room, coal vaults, ash vaults and shafts, and corridors, wood is supplanted by asphaltum and marble, iron beams, and brick arches. If the Palace Hotel can burn, the lessons of Chicago and Boston are lost, and all human precaution is vain against fire in this year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-five. (The most interesting line I've read).
Architect J.P. Gaynor was instructed by the owners to travel and study the best hotels elsewhere before submitting his plans for the Palace Hotel, and Warren Leland - mine host of the old New York Metropolitan Hotel, of the Leland family, famous as hotel keepers - was appointed lessee of the house, and manager of all things. The sunning and ventilation of the 755 rooms for guests are excellent, every room opening on the open light, having a fire place, and a separate flue of four by eight inches running clear through to the roof. Every second room has a bathroom attached, most rooms are twenty feet square, and none of a less size than sixteen by sixteen feet. Two thousand and forty-two ventilating tubes open outward on the roof of the hotel.
Three great canons or courts, cut down from roof to base, air and lighten the mountain building. The center court measures 144 by 84 feet, is covered with glass, made brilliant by the lights of the pillared verandahs surrounding it, floor above floor; with a tropical garden, fountains, statues, an instrumental band of music in the evenings, and a circular carriage drive fifty-four feet in diameter. Opening upon this "garden floor" there is an "arcade promenade," four yards wide, with a show window looking on the promenade from each of the stores under the hotel. Letter tubes, pneumatic dispatch tubes, and electric bells knit all this miniature Palais Royal and the hotel into one body of wonderful life.
Ministering to the 1,200 guests that can be accommodated are four clerks, two book keepers, a French head cook who is a brilliant particular star in his profession, five assistant cooks of rising name, and three specialists - namely, a chief confectioner from Milan, a chief baker from Vienna, and "Muffin Tom" from New York, an old negro the fame of whose egg muffins and corn bread has made him the aristocrat of his race for the last half century from Charleston to Long Branch. The 150 waiters are to be negros also. Forty chambermaids and a host of Chinese will see that the beds and bed linen are white and fresh. This is the kind of hotel we keep in San Francisco.
From China and India to Japan a stream of invalids and visitors pours yearly upon the city, and great sanitarium of the future for the languid oriental world. From the islands of the peaceful sea, from our own east and north, from Spanish America, a great host shall make a Babel of the Palace Hotel, whose builders have not been confounded. Its white towering walls, dotted with the gilded iron bolts that bind the great rods of the building together, shall be familiar to strange eyes from far lands. The sick down easter shall abandon his nutmegs of wood and satisfy his soul with the grapes and the oranges of our State; yellow aristocrats from Siam and tawny revolutionists from Bogota shall join hands and pass the sirup over the steaming triumphs of Muffin Tom.
We have seven big world wonders now: the Bay of San Francisco, the Central Pacific Railroad, the Big Trees, the Bonanza, Yosemite, the Geysers, the Palace Hotel - and Assessor Rosener. - Overland Monthly
Souvenir of San Francisco, Cal. Published and Copyrighted 1880 by C.P. Heininger.
It appears the date was corrected at some point and could be 1883 or 1888.
This souvenir book of San Francisco features a pull-out section in the entire first half. This shows a map of San Francisco at the time (the Palace Hotel is on the crease, No. 32), and several postcard views from around the city. The second half is various articles about the city, including one from the Palace Hotel. There is also a stamp in the back (presumably where the book was bought) - R.S. Denison, Oakland Pier, with a 10 in the middle of the circle.
Its commodious and elegant character is assured in the fact that, in the inception of the enterprise, the owner, the late Hon. William Sharon, instructed his architect to visit the hotels of the principal cities of the United States and Europe, for the express purpose of including in the plans of the Palace all existing improvements, and such additional ones that experience and observation had suggested, he desired it to be a palatial hotel in every respect.
The Palace Hotel occupies the entire block upon the southwest corner of New Montgomery and Market Streets; rearing its huge fronts a hundred and twenty feet, extending two hundred and seventy-five feet westerly up Market and Jessie, and stretching its vast flanks three hundred and fifty feet southerly along New Montgomery and Annie, this architectural monarch lifts its colossal bulk above the very business and social centers of the Pacific Metropolis.
The general style of architecture, within and without, is almost severely simple, amplitude, solidity, strength and permanency reign in every part. Of the imposing exterior of the stately structure, with myriads of bay windows diversifying its four immense fronts, from top to bottom, and partially relieving the oppressive massiveness which must otherwise characterize it, of its stupendous proportions and its absolute immensity. Ninety-six thousand two hundred and fifty square feet, or nearly two and a quarter acres, underlie the stupendous structure itself, while the sub-sidewalk extensions increase the basement area to upwards of three acres. Its general form is an immense triplicate, hollow quadrangle, including one grand central, crystal-roofed garden court, flanked by a lesser and parallel court on either side. Seven lofty stories surmount the deep and airy basement, and through a considerable portion it has eight. The lower story has a height of twenty-seven feet; the uppermost sixteen. The deep foundation wall is twelve feet thick; stone, iron, brick and marble are the chief materials. Of the brick alone, its construction consumed thirty-one million. All outer and inner and partition walls, from base to top, are solid stone and brick built around, within, and upon a huge skeleton of broad wrought-iron bands, thickly bolted together, and of such immense size as to have required three thousand tons for this purpose alone. Thus, the building is really duplex - a huge, self-supporting frame of iron, of enormous strength, within massive walls of firm-set brick and solid stone. The outer and visible walls are proof against fire; the inner and invisible frames secure against earthquake. The supporting columns, within and without, are iron; the cornice of iron and zinc. Four artesian wells, having a tested capacity of 28,000 gallons an hour, supply the great 630,000 gallon reservoir under the central court, besides filling seven roof-tanks holding 130,000 gallons more. Three large steam fire-pumps force water through 45 4-inch wrought iron upright fire-mains, reaching above the roof, and distribute it through 327 2 1/2-inch hose bibs, and 15,000 feet of 5-ply carbonized firehose, thus doubly and trebly commanding every inch of the vast structure from roof to basement, within and without. Five patent safety-catch hydraulic elevators, running noiselessly within fire-proof brick walls, ascend even to the roof promenades. Electric fire-alarms, self-acting, instantly report at the office the exact locality of any fire, or even of extraordinary heat in any parlor, bedroom, closet, hall, passage, stairway or storeroom. Special hotel watchmen regularly patrol all parts of the building every thirty minutes, day and night. A self-acting and self-registering tell-tale indicator instantly reports at the office any neglect or omission of their duty. Besides all these precautions, a fire-proof iron staircase, enclosed in solid brick and stone, and opening through iron doors upon every floor, ascends from basement to roof. Every floor has its exclusive annunciator, and its own tabular conductors, carrying all letters for the post office directory to the main letterbox in the general office. A pneumatic dispatch tube instantly conveys letters, messages or parcels to and from any point of the different floors. Two thousand and forty-two ventilating tubes, opening outward upon the roof from every room, bathroom and closet, insure constant purity and thorough sweetness of air in every part. The grand central court, 144 x 48 feet, has a carriage and promenade entrance, through the east front on New Montgomery Street, of 44 feet width, expanding into a circular driveway of fifty-two feet in diameter, surrounded by a marble-tiled promenade and a tropical garden of rare exotics, with choice statuary and artistic fountains. Within this court, opposite the main entrance, is the music pavilion, in which the instrumental band, exclusively attached to the Palace, renders choice selections, at stated intervals, during every afternoon and evening.
Off the central court open the main entrance to the hotel office, 65 x 55 ; entrances to the breakfast room, 110 x 55; the grand dining room, 150 x 55; the music and ball room, 65 x 55; the ladies' lower reception room, 40 x 40 ; reading room of the same size ; billiard rooms, 65 x 40; barber shop and bath rooms, 40 x 40; committee rooms, and other general apartments, devoted to the pleasure or convenience of guests and patrons.
On the second floor are private dining rooms, children's dining hall, and the ladies' drawing rooms, 84 x 40. The total number of rooms exclusively for guests above the garden floor is 755. Most are twenty feet square - none less than 16 x 16. They are equally well finished and furnished throughout. The heavy carpets, of most artistic and beautiful designs, were manufactured exclusively for this hotel. The massive furniture, original and unique in design, was made by special contract in San Francisco, of the finest and most beautiful native woods, at an aggregate cost of over half a million dollars. The rooms are expressly arranged for use, either singly or in suits of two or more. Their connections and approaches are such that an individual, family, or a party of any size, can have a suite of any number of rooms, combining the seclusion of the most elegant private residence, with the numberless luxuries of the most perfect hotel. Every outer room has its bay window, while every parlor and guest chamber has its own private toilet, ample clothes closet and fire grate.
The capitals of the columns along the upper corridors are crowded with elegant urns and vases of rare and beautiful flowers and plants, whose twining tendrils in luxuriant growth gracefully festoon the balconies, while the delicious fragrance of this tropical conservatory pervades the air of the court, as well as that of the neighboring rooms, with delightful perfumes. Independent of outward atmospheric changes, this crystal-roofed garden enjoys its own local sub-tropical climate of perpetual summer, where, as in some charming nook of fairyland, the balmy breath of incense-laden air may at once refresh and recreate its delighted guests. Classic statues of the four seasons also adorn the corridors of this aerial tropical conservatory.
From broad walks and observatories, surrounding the lofty roof, and readily accessible by the elevators, the guests enjoy a panoramic view unsurpassed in breadth and beauty. Within and without, in all approaches, appointments and belongings, the kingly structure, far surpassing, not only in size but in grandeur, all the hotels of Europe and America, richly justifies the propriety of its happily chosen name—The Palace Hotel.
Edward Bosqui Poster
Palace Hotel. San Francisco, Cal.
"Large chromolithographed newsprint broadside illustrating the lavishly appointed hotel with vignettes of guests enjoying its interiors and scenic overlooks. 19 1/2x25 1/2 inches sheet size, ample margins; mounted to archival board to stabilize old folds and repairs. San Francisco, 1886." Issued with Christmas Number, S.F. News Letter, 1886.
It is also interesting that is shows hotel guests walking around the roof taking in the view of the city in the upper center! This came up for auction in December 2023, but I unfortunately was not able to make the winning bid.
What is probably the most unique view of the Palace Hotel. Someone took an image from the neighboring Monadnock, Hearst, or Call building looking towards the Ferry Building and captured the roof of the Palace. It is interesting to view all of the details and walkways, which until now were a mystery. I came across this image in the Berkeley Library, University of California, Library Archives online.
Ink architectural drawing of the new Palace Hotel. Measuring 5 x 8.5", this beautiful drawing would've likely been used for newspaper and other published articles on the hotel.
Going, going, gone. Courtesy of Calisphere.org.
The Architectural Review, Special Hotel Number. Volume II, No. IV. April, 1913
This large 14" x 11", 200 page book features floorplans, exterior photos, interior photos, architectural detail photos, and information from the grandest hotels of 1913! Some of the other hotels highlighted are The Blackstone, Chicago - St. Regis, New York - Plaza Hotel, NYC - The Vanderbilt, NYC - The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco - St. Francis, San Francisco - Hotel La Salle, Chicago - The New Willard Hotel, Washington, D.C., and many others!
"The Palace Hotel occupies an entire city block and actually covers nearly three acres of ground, with a frontage of two hundred and seventy-five feet on Market Street and three hundred and forty-four feet on New Montgomery Street. It occupies the site of the famous hostelry of the same name and contains seven hundred guest rooms.
The building is constructed of light-colored brick, with a stone base and finely modeled roof-cresting of terra-cotta. Ornamental iron plays an important part in enlivening the design, and the large cornice-like balcony at the eighth story, supported by large iron brackets arranged in pairs, as well as the grilles at the windows, relieve the facade of any barren look it might have otherwise.
The Sun Court is an immense apartment, eighty-five feet wide by one hundred and ten feet long, and with its great dome of bronze and leaded glass, springing to a height of three stories, presents a most unique architectural feature. The dome is supported on either side by a double row of Italian marble columns, and wide corridors directly behind afford ample circulation for crowds and yet maintain a homelike effect.
On the south side of the court is the main restaurant, and to the right as one enters is the Gothic Grill for men. The ballroom occupies the southwest corner of the main floor, and can be used independently of the rest of the hotel because of its own entrance and group of reception and dressing rooms immediately adjoining."
The 1913 Floor Plan of the Palace Hotel.
The Garden Court was originally called the Sun Court, or Main Court. The Ralston Room was the Gothic Grill or Men's Grill Room, The Rose Room was the Ladies' Dining Room with the Concert Room next door. The Gold Ballroom was the Banquet Room. I was surprised to see another "lobby" at the opposite end of the Main Court.
The front of The Pied Piper was the Barber Shop, with the Bar Room behind it. This is the first plan I've seen that shows the layout of the kitchen and pantries as well. I have not documented the floorplan changes as I have for the 1875 building.
Left: The last remnant of the Palace Hotel. This grouping of pillars was the entryway into the hotel's main corridor on Market Street. It's a shame they couldn't be preserved in memory of the original building. A tall ladder can be seen directly in front of them, which once was attached to the corner of the building. Both can be seen clearly in the photo at the top of the page.
Below: Postcard of the same entryway.
Below: A 1905 copy of Oscar Wilde's De Profundis book. The owner, John F. Pogue, read it on the night of April 1st, 1906, which was only 17 days before the earthquake and fires stuck. What makes this book special is that he was staying at the Palace Hotel when he read it and attended a music concert on the same night, gluing the music program into the cover! In his lament in the back of the book, he also speaks of the Palace Hotel in the 5th verse.
Inside cover, "The night I read this book. San Francisco, Calif. Before the Earthquake (see back of book)."
Inside the back cover:
Fallen Frisco
"'Tis warm on the Bay of the Beautiful Gate,
The red sun is lifting his head to the Dawn;
The air fails to signal the our horrible fate -
Fair Frisco rests easy as light on the lawn.
Far out under Ocean there travels the terror -
The waves of destruction are full on the way;
While slumbering the city has lost sense of error,
She's sleepeth as light as the light on her Bay.
O! Frisco thou marvel, thou queen of the Ocean!
How stealth'ly thy judgement has fallen on thee,
The earth falls a tremble - a fearful commotion -
And Frisco has fallen as falleth a tree!
Her seconds are number'd, each stroke of the dial,
E'er shakes her again like a rag in the wind;
Yea Frisco the mighty is facing her trial -
Ere three minutes ended we mothing may find.
O! Palace of Pleasure, how sad is thy state -
Thy garlands are crisped and seared by the flame;
Thy high storied chambers where slumber'd the great,
Are prostrate and ruined, and burried thy name.
Tho Frisco may shake herself free from the ruin -
No age thy past glory to thee can restore,
For faith and to treasure are lost to thy wooin',
And safety's denied - evermore! evermore!
O! Pity the Frisco, thy past and thy future,
For Destiny's stript thee and left thee all bare,
The world weepeth with thee, and quickly would nurture,
But Frisco; O, Frisco! of thee I dispair" - J.F.P. 1906.
"A lament and a prophesy, en route home, written on the train out of Spokane as I learned of the fate of San Francisco after a week's departure from there prior to the earthquake."
A letter written from the Palace Hotel on March 2nd, 1892. Most of the original stationery was simply worded "Palace Hotel, San Francisco" in plain font, but this letterhead is a stunner!
"Downtown Aerial circa 1930. View northeast from above Market Street near 3rd St. Russ Building, Hunter-Dulin Building, Chronicle Building, Hobart Building, Palace Hotel, Call Building, Ferry Building and Yerba Buena Island. Photographer, Fred Mae. (Marilyn Blaisdell Collection)." You can clearly see the roof of the Palace Hotel and the glass ceiling of the Rose Room before the conference rooms were built above it.
Palace Hotel Letter, to Mr. Harry Belcher, R.A. Rowan & Company, Los Angeles, CA. October 1, 1913.
Friend Harry,
Just a few lines to let you know that we are enjoying our trip at San Francisco, principally on account of the fine weather that they are having here. I expect that my little girl will be greatly benefited by the treatment, that the Doctor here at San Francisco proposes for her.
I had hope to hear from you by this time, that you had ties up with Muller & Rass; I hope you will be able to land them, together with a few others before I get home. Max writes me that the new building looks very swell. I hope you have had no trouble with Donovan, Fowler Bros. or Mathison in regard to the rents.
I hope that Mrs. Belcher is enjoying the change, not seeing me around her desk so much. I know that she can enjoy my absence and I hope no one else is bothering her, because she needs a reset. Please give my kindest regards to Mrs. Belcher and trusting that the ranch is being well taken care of, I am.
Sincerely Yours, Louis Isaacs.
I came across a research paper written by Robert Bardell entitled, "Where the Rubble Went" online. It is a fascinating account of what happened to all of the debris from the earthquake and made several mentions of the Palace Hotel! I always assumed beautiful and burned remnants of the Palace were hiding somewhere under the city, but that isn't very likely.
He wrote that in late September of 1906, a bunker was constructed at the site to specifically bring down the shell of the Palace and reuse what could be. The photo at right shows this from the California Historical Society. Note the railroad track on New Montgomery St. used to haul away the debris. "Broken brick from the Palace Hotel was fed into a rock crusher and sold to the railroads for track ballast" and usable bricks were cleaned and stacked in empty lots ready to be reused in the reconstruction of the city. Found light fixtures, metal, bathtubs, ceramics, etc. were melted down, crushed, and recycled as well. Very little, if anything, was left of the Palace to bury in a landfill.
Collapsing buildings were always a concern as the work progressed in San Francisco. "On November 30th, 1906, high winds dislodged a large chunk of masonry from a window of the Palace Hotel above Market Street. Part of this mass struck Edward Cuneo, 14, killing him instantly." The track next to the hotel site "remained in service until most of the ruins of the hotel were hauled away. The debris railroad ceased regular operation in March of 1907." Robert estimated that train cars were loaded for roughly 100 days from the Palace site carrying 25,000 cubic yards of debris in the first phase, and 90,000 in the second. Debris came from other buildings in the area and not just the hotel. He also noted that 25% of the bricks were salvaged whole and reused elsewhere. Finally, he states that the debris from the Palace Hotel was taken away and dumped at Islais Creek.
Below: A 1909 Grand Reopening Ad for the Palace Hotel.
One of the earliest images of the Palace Hotel, created by Bradley & Rulofson. Palace Hotel, San Francisco, Alex Sharon, Lessee. The back is dated December 8th, 1880, but the card predates that since the bridge between the Palace and Grand Hotels isn't built yet. Bradley & Rulofson also made the very first cabinet photograph (drawing) of the Palace Hotel on October 27th, 1875 for their art gallery.
A.J. McDonald Photograph, 303 Palace Hotel. 426 Kearny St, San Francisco, Cal.
Backstamped C. Beach, Bookseller & Stationer, 107 Mt'g, St. S.F. c1880s.
San Francisco Illustrated "In Albertype" Album. Copyright 1889, by A. Wittemann.
A very unique photograph in my collection of the Central Court with the original date palm in the middle of the carriageway. Taken between 1900 and 1902. At this point, it appears the palm is already beginning to die, which makes it more likely this dates closer to 1901 / 1902.
1923 press photo of the Presidential Suite where Warren G. Harding died.
December 6th, 1873. It is announced that a Palace Hotel will be erected on Market Street for a cost of $850,000. 2 months later, the excavation for the foundation begins and soon the largest and most luxurious hotel in the world will be built in less than 2 years! The site was originally a sand dune which everyone thought was worthless. Squatters took over, then it was cleared for St. Patrick's Church and Orphanage. Ralston finally bought the lot for $400,000 to build the Palace Hotel. Right: The Palace Hotel late in its construction, 1875. You can see the windows weren't installed yet and there is scaffolding on the roof. View Geary Street from Taylor.
Right: The frame of the Palace Hotel between the buildings for the arrival of the Great White Fleet in 1908. It is also notable that the Call Building has been fully restored after the fire.
A stunning colorized photograph of the burnt out remains of the Palace Hotel in 1906.
Before I dive into the history of the Palace, I feel it that the Grand Hotel must first be mentioned, as it appears in references throughout the site. Constructed between 1869 and 1870 by the Montgomery Real Estate Association, it was originally designed as commercial use for offices and stores. For whatever reason, after the first floor was completed, it was decided to use the space as a luxurious hotel. It cost $450,000 to construct the four story hotel made of brick, iron, and primarily wood. It formally opened on May 3rd, 1870 by Johnson & Co., who previously managed the Lick House. W.P. Ridgeway was its first manager.
The above left photograph shows the Grand Hotel about February 1874, when the construction of the Palace Hotel began, which you can see to the left of the image. By April, the first floor of the new Palace was already up. This image is courtesy of Nick Wright, San Francisco to the 1920s Facebook Page.
Not much from this briefly famous hotel exists, as it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fires. The lot was sold and a bank went up in its place. Two rare items I have from the Grand are an original room key and fob made for the 1870 opening, and a letter on Grand stationery from 1897 - above right.
A few other notable events from the Grand's history are as follows:
- July 9th,1880: Senator Sharon buys out the Woodworth heirs for their portion of the land that the Grand sits on. The Grand now becomes a part of the Palace Hotel and between this date and September 3rd, a large bridge is built between the two hotels across New Montgomery St.
- November 3rd, 1890: A fire destroys the Burlington (attached to the Grand - left portion above) and nearly destroys the entire Grand Hotel. Despite the damage, the Grand manager, S.F. Thorn, states that just three days later, 250 of the 465 rooms are in good condition and the hotel will resume services. A large brick structure will be built in the middle of the block from the basement to above the top floor to prevent another fire from taking out the entire block.
- January 22nd, 1895: Despite the elevator equipment just having been replaced, it was faulty and caused the elevator to slam into the roof of the Grand rather than stop at the 2nd floor.
- July 31st, 1898: An article noted that S.F. Thorn ran the Grand after the death of Sylvester Johnson in 1873. Thorn ran the hotel for 18 years, along with the Palace for a short time.
Like anyone else, I assumed that the original 1875 floorplans shown above were basically how the hotel was laid out until 1906. As I began researching the original building, it soon became apparent that not only were the floorplans changed over time, but they were changed several times. Shown below are the four different layouts I created of the Palace between 1890 and 1906, which was by far the most difficult task in my research. The first large changes came in 1890 & 1891. The Billiard Room & Bar were moved to the other side of the hotel, and both open driveways from Annie Street were enclosed to create the Conservatory, Bar, and entrance to the City Restaurant. A new American Dining Room and Reading Room were made where the old Billiard Room and Bar were. A large stone arch entrance was made from one of the store fronts on Market Street to access the City Restaurant, Bar, Gentleman's Business Lunch Room, and Billiard Room. The court had the peristyle added, with lattice work above the pillars. The Barber Shop was moved to front New Montgomery Street.
From 1893 to 1895, the left side of the hotel was turned into the Marble, Maple, and Ladies' Reception Rooms. The City Restaurant was moved to the Main Dining Room so the Ladies' Grillroom could be introduced. The Gentleman's Business Lunch Room was renamed the Men's Grill Room in 1893 and the Billiard Room was still there. In 1895, the Billiard Room was moved to the basement so the Men's Grillroom could be expanded.
In 1899, the Conservatory became a waiting room / lounging area for the now renamed Supper Room. The Tapestry Room was made a cloak room in one of the private dining rooms, but it is not known which. It likely was both spaces.
Finally, between 1901 and 1906, The Supper Room was renamed the Palace Ballroom, then the Ladies' Lounging Room - serving several different functions. The Transportation Club took over where the Union League was and the Ladies' Reception Room was renamed the Empire Parlor. The biggest change was the enclosing of the courtyard, turning it into a luxurious lounging space. A semi-circular driveway was still kept at the entrance so those arriving could be sheltered from the elements. Click on each to enlarge.
Research of Note:
While researching, I also kept track of certain statistics for the Palace from 1873 to 1906:
- There was 1 birth at the Palace Hotel.
- 112 people died at Palace during this time. It began with a death during its construction and ended with the death of two people killed from falling rubble after the hotel burned. The most gruesome was that of Charles Fay in 1893. Others were accidental, natural, murder, or suicide.
- 4 funerals were held in the Palace.
- 49 couples were married at the Palace.
- The building suffered 8 fires prior to the 1906 blaze. 1879, 1890, 2 in 1891, 1894, 1895, and 2 in 1904.
- The building also went through 4 earthquakes prior to 1906.
- There was one explosion in the Palace in 1883.
An 1875 rendering of what the finished Palace Hotel court would look like. "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by John. P. Gaynor, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. Grand Court - Palace Hotel. San Francisco, California, 1875, John P. Gaynor, Architect. Houseworth." Back: "Houseworth. The Leading Photographer of Celebrities, Portrait Parlors, No. 12. Yo Semite Art Gallery & Salesroom. No. 9 Montgomery Street, Under and Opposite the Lick House, San Francisco.
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. August 17th, 1876. Chinese Merchants of San Francisco paying their respects to the embassy in the Grand Parlor of the Palace Hotel. Arrival of the embassy, escorted by resident merchants, at the Reception Saloon of the Palace Hotel. Members of the embassy promenading in the lobby of the hotel after dining.
Research of Note: February, 1890. The interior and exterior of the Palace Hotel is being painted white, while the gas burners are being replaced with incandescent lights. The new stone arch entranceway to the Palace Restaurant is created from one of the store fronts on Market Street. It can be seen in this postcard as well.
Two early views of the Palace Hotel, c1875-1879.
The Grand Hotel - Courtesy of skmorton.com
Research of Note: On July 9th, 1880, Senator Sharon buys out the Woodworth heirs for their portion of the land that the Grand sits on. The Grand now becomes a part of the Palace Hotel and between this date and September 1st, a large bridge is built between the two hotels across New Montgomery St. The bridge enters the Palace on the second floor into the left side of the Drawing Room facing New Montgomery Street. On September 3rd, the bridge was decorated for President Hayes visit.
Right: Close-up of the "Bridge of Sighs", Courtesy skmorton.com.
The Puzzle of the Palace Hotel Rooms.
When the Palace Hotel opened in 1875, it had 755 rooms. Many of these were connecting suites, which technically meant rooms 1 to 4 could be considered one room. I found a few interesting things about the Palace's rooms in my research. First, even though one would think the highest rooms number would be 755, it wasn't. The highest room number mentioned was Room 1102 on the 7th floor, but there are other rooms noted in the 1000s.
One article also mentioned each floor averages 138 rooms, with the top floor having high ceilings, making it very desirable to stay. Another article stated there is no Room 13 in the Palace due to it's connection with bad luck. The room that would be called 13 is part of Room 12 and listed as such in the hotel's books. Finally, I broke down the 2nd floor plan, and came up with the possibility of only having 120 rooms on that floor - breaking the Children's Dining Room into 4 rooms and the Drawing Rooms into 8 rooms on the other floors. That would still only give the hotel 720 rooms, so there is obviously something I am missing.
Also, you would think that room numbers would start on the second floor and work their way up, but they don't. A 1909 article on the room numbering system for the new Palace stated that the room numbers would start with the number for the floor it was on to avoid confusion as was such in the original Palace. While many room numbers are mentioned over the years, only a few give the room number and floor it was on. They are as follows:
- 2nd Floor: Rooms 160, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 378, 380, 381, 978, 979, 980, and 981. If you look at the 2nd floor layout at the top of this page, the four rooms in each corner of the hotel make up the most lavish suites available. The lower right corner on Market & New Montgomery consisted of the four suite rooms 978-981. This is where President Grant stayed, as well as Chinese Minister Yung Yu. The lower left corner consists of rooms 190-193, which is where President Hayes stayed and the Native Sons of the Golden West had their Headquarters in 1900. The upper left are rooms 170-174, where General Sharon had his banquet in 1876. The Republican Party also held these rooms for headquarters. There is no mention of the suite of rooms on the upper right.
- 3rd Floor: Rooms 470, 695 (This key is known to still exist), 714. The upper right suites mentioned above were home to a daring fire escape robbery on the 3rd floor in 1903.
- 4th Floor: Suite 66, Rooms 70, 78 & 80 mentioned as adjoining rooms, 275, 478, 669, and 848 noted as Senator Sharon's Room.
- 5th Floor: Room 46, Suite 50, Room 304.
- 6th Floor: Room 613
- 7th Floor: Room 1102
As you can see, there is no rhyme or reason to how these rooms are numbered and laid out. I originally assumed the key I have for Room 749 would've been one of the lavish rooms on the 7th floor, but in reality, it could have been on any floor of the hotel.
Research of Note:
- August 27th, 1889: The light poles in front of the Palace Hotel are switched out. The tops of two still exist in Palm Springs, CA.
- September 15th, 1895: The exterior of the Palace Hotel is painted a dull mouse gray - below.
- June 9th, 1899: After the burning of the Baldwin Hotel & Theatre, the Palace Hotel was to have a grand theatre built somewhere on the first floor to make up for the loss. However, after looking into these plans, they were cancelled on November 17th, 1901.
- November 13th, 1901: The Courtyard Grill becomes a permanent fixture in the Palace due to its success with the after opera crowd.
- May 18th, 1902: $300,000 is given to remove the roof of the Palace Hotel and add two additional stories since the hotel is continually running at capacity and needs more space.
- September 11th, 1902: After decades of being an open courtyard to traffic, it is decided to enclose the space and turn it into a grand lounging area. The work on tearing up the court floor begins this day.
- December 23rd, 1902: A new central chandelier is added in the Maple Room.
- February 23rd, 1903: While it is not known when they were installed, fire escapes on the sides of the Palace are already in place and mentioned this date. The idea was pitched to the hotel back in 1890, but don't appear to be installed by the time McKinley visits in 1901.
- April 3rd, 1903: The new furniture for the Palace Courtyard is installed, marking the end of the conversion. The traffic loop is moved to the outer front area of the hotel.
- March 30th, 1904: The Palace Hotel wins the Fairmont Hotel lease.
- December 18th, 1904: Steam heat is added to every room of the hotel, while continuing to have the option for open fireplaces.
- January 30th, 1905: The Aeolian pipe organ is installed on the third floor of the Palace courtyard.
- December 17th, 1905: The work of removing the roof of the Palace Hotel to add 290 rooms will soon begin. Manager Kirkpatrick insists that the work will be done in sections and not interfere with the day to day activities of the hotel. Work is set to begin in June, 1906.
- March 7th, 1906: The Ladies' Grill Room is remodeled with four grand crystal electroliers at a cost of $2,000 each ($70,000 today). They were installed last month and used for the first time with the Hyde Banquet.
After the destruction of the Palace, a smaller version known as the Little Palace quickly went up a few streets away. It formally opened on November 17th, 1906 with Kirkpatrick managing it. It was noted that a new, luxurious order of dinnerware was ordered for the old Palace and still hadn't arrived from Germany. It would be pressed into service here. So far, no account of what this set looks like exists.
The Little Palace only lasted until September 1st, 1907, when the Bohemian Club took it over with a 3.5 year lease.
Below: Stereoscopic images of the Palace Hotel in the 1870s. Two from the main court, one from the 5th floor, and the last two from the 7th, or Conservatory floor. Internet Sourced.
Research of Note for the New Palace Hotel:
- October 18th, 1919: 250 rooms are to be added to the Palace Hotel, mostly duplex apartments and suites. The Grillroom roof will be raised to the 2nd floor.
- January 22nd, 1921: The Palace Bar is no more after almost 70 years. It will now become the Business Men's Lunch Room.
- February 24th, 1935: The Happy Valley Cocktail Bar is installed.
- October 9th, 1936: The Rose Room Bowl is introduced.
- October 19th, 1954: The Palace Hotel becomes the Sheraton Palace
- April 16th, 1973: Purchased by Japanese Conglomerate Kyo-Ya Co., Ltd. Still run by Sheraton.
- January 1989: The Palace Hotel closes for extensive renovations. Many interior fittings and wares are sold off. The remodel hits a snag when the Loma Prieta Earthquake hits on October 17th, 1989 and badly damages the hotel. There is no mention of it in papers since the hotel was already closed.
- April 4th, 1991: The Palace Hotel reopens after a 27 month renovation restoring it to its 1909 glory.
- 1995: The Sheraton Palace goes back to the Palace Hotel.
In the new Palace Hotel, there were a total of 51 deaths from 1909 to the present that were noted in the newspapers. President Harding's death in 1923 was the 140th death at the hotel since its construction. Total, there were 163 deaths in the Palace during its history (that were mentioned).
The Little Palace had one fire in 1907, and the new Palace had 12 fires since 1909. All were very minor, 2 were from guests catching themselves on fire in the lobby, and 8 were arson attempts to burn the hotel. The new Palace went through 3 earthquakes - 1926, 1957, and 1989. There was also an explosion in the cellar in 1930 and a bomb went off in an unoccupied bathroom in 1974.
1909 Palace Hotel Bar
Internet Photo
Two color slides taken in the Sheraton Palace sometime during the 1960s or 70s.
Two larger photographs of the Palace Hotel's kitchen. One as it appears empty, and another with several chefs and food on silver and china ready to go out to the guests. The back of the second one reads, "Palace Hotel, San Francisco, Calif. Wm. P. Dennis worked there as relief chef. 1928 or 1929."
