The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-11-26
DAILY INTELLIGENCER.
Wednesday, Nov &c. 1879
EARLY SAN FgiNrPSCo.

The oldest the Mission Churcn and
few other adobe houses near il were
probably erected about 1850, certainly
not in 1916, at the a8iishment Of the
mission, for the force wss not il 1716
equal n such an entc. Prise. Ihs books
which, record the notable events Of the
Fl rst few years say nothing Of any sub
stantial architecture. Nor ti the esTiy
builders complete the houses in sheir
present form Thatching had 10 serve
as q roof, and the undIsturbed soil or
pounded clay al floor, for years. Tiles
and wooden floors were later additions.
The Mission Church has been renovated
repeatedly, until l.t,lc remains Of It's
original substance save the walls, aud
they have been plas,ered over 50 that
the adobes are fro some points Of view
no. discoverable.
Between 1885 when settlers cOa!d
for the frat time become Independent
landowners on the peninsula, the Fran
ciscan Friars having previously held
control Of all the real estate and 1913,
when the Americans conquered the
country, nothing was done to erect
houses at the Mission. The Spanish
population increased. but found room
in the buildings formerly occupied by
the Indians. who. having numbered
1000, after the power was taken from
the missionaries dwindle1 by desertion
and disease to less than 100, and have
since entirely disappeared.
The village Of Yrrba Buena was pre-
cminently Anglo-America1 in its ar
chitecturc as well as in its population
and business. The first house was
shanty, built at the corner Of Dupont
and Clay streets, and most Of the dwell
ings and stores erected in tt c next ten
years were Of wood. Not one Of them
remains. The Oldest houses now stand
ing near the business part Of the city
were erected in 1917. OF these. o"e is
wooden building erected by Samuel
Brannan near the southeast corner Of
Washington and Stockton, and after.
ward moved TO the middle oi the block
on the west side Of SpciiJrd alley, where
it is now. a shaky. d. y. filthy Chinese
den. The other is the Fremont Hotel.
at No 007 Battery street, north Of Val
leio. Tho latter building. after it
ceased to be available for hotel pur-
poses, was converted into n hospital
finally into dwelling, and sixteen feet
of rock were blasted out beneath it. so
that il could be let down 20 the official
grade Of the street. The other houses
built in this century w:thin the present
city limits, before 1917. have been torn
down or destroyed by fire, with the ex-
cep,ion Of tho Noe adobe building on
the southeastern slope Of the Mission
Peaks. erected about the year 1896 as
tho homestead Of tho San Miguel
ranch.
The house on the northwest corner Of
Powell and Washington is the oldest
brick building In the city, and was put
upas two-story dwelling in 1919; but
when the streets in front Of it were
lowered. two additional stories were
built under it. without any change in
its level. SO that it is now q four story
house. The WOO len buildiug at tho
northeast corner Of Montgomery aud
Broadway was the elegant residence o.
Harry Moiggs, as two-story house
but. the street having b. en- cut down
has five stories, W thout counting the
attic.
Many Of tho early houses were built
Of imported material. Large quantities
If lumber wore brought from Eastern
lorts in 1919. and The extensive impor-
tation Of brick. mainly as ballast, did
not cease until five years later. \ hun
dred wooden houses were sent ont, with
all their pieces fitted. ready for putting
together. SO that as little labor should
be required in California rs possible
Twenty-Five arrived in October, 1910,
for w ID M Howard, who erected three
on tho north side Of Mission street
westward from Third. where one o,
them remains. Folsom bought some OF
them. and lived in ono which yet stands
on Second street, between Howard and
Folsom.
PARROTS building, on the nogthwos:
corner OF California and Montgomery
streets, was built in 1888, of granite
quarried and cut in China. and China.
men carried the stones, suspended from
bamboo poles. up to the masons who
laid the walls The granite Of several
other buildings on Montgomery stree,
came from China. hut was cut here
The granite in the foundation Of the
Custom House came from Quincy, M So
The bricks Of the building on the south
west corner Of Clay and Montgomery
streets were brought from Boston, am
those Of 62l Montgomery street from
Now York. Tho marble of tho onl,
marble front building in the city, a
No. GAL Washington street. came from
Vermont the granite OF the San Fran
cisco Stock and Exchange building from
Rocklin; the light gray sandstone o.
the Mint from Vancouver Island, snd
the dark blush gray sandstone of the
Bank OF California from Angel Island
Large quantities of brick brought as
ballast from England were sold in small
lots and mixed in building with other
bricks Several dozen iron houses were
sent out from England. as suitable fol
= town subject to great CONGREGATIONS
but, though not eombustible, they wer,
far from fireproof, and. under the influ
ence Of heat. twisted aud shrunk 50 a
to be unfit for use \ few Of theS,
buildings remain. diugy reminders O
the past.
The house on the northeast corner q
Mason and Jackson was, "a quarter OF !
century ago, the envied home Of Con.u
Dillon, who had official charge Of ahou
fifteen thousand Frenchmen in Calif1r
MIA. The table Of grades declared il
1854 that the natural surface If the
ground ut that spot was 80 or 30 fee