Exceptional San Francisco Investment

In the 1920s, San Francisco boomed with prosperity following World War I and the Outer Richmond neighborhood blossomed with block upon block of speculatively-built houses. Local builders invested themselves in projects that included individual houses and small tracts. Each house they built had similar forms, plans, and facade designs, but unique ornament, and could be constructed and quickly sold to San Franciscans who wanted the latest in modern suburban housing as the city expanded to the west.

These new residences often had European aesthetics – Spanish, Italian, French, and English – and influenced American architectural fashion in the 1920s. Soldiers returning from the European theaters of World War I had brought home a fascination with the Old World architecture that they observed abroad. Coupled with a war-shocked yearning for an idyllic past, they inspired design trends that are seen today in neighborhoods across the country.

The residential flats building at 2433-2435 Cabrillo Street, along with its five similar-looking neighbors, and the two large apartment buildings at either end of the block, were developed in 1927 by Manning Baldwin Inc., a construction company that was apparently a newcomer to the San Francisco building trade. They hired architect John C. Hladik for the master design of the six flats buildings, and it was repeated along the southern 2400 block face of Cabrillo Street. A couple years previously, Hladick had been the architect of an elaborate facade remodel for a Cow Hollow neighborhood theater known as the Palace (no longer extant). One year prior, he designed the high-rise Crown Tower apartment building at 666 Post Street. And in the same year that he designed the Cabrillo Street flats, he designed the Spanish Colonial Revival style Laning Chateau apartment house at 345 Forest Avenue in Palo Alto.

All of Hladik's designs embraced European-inspired revival styles. At 2433-2435 Cabrillo Street, a Tudor Revival aesthetic is present; seen most prominently in its decorative quoining, triangular pointed arch openings, tall narrow four-lite windows with heavy sills, and dramatically peaked parapet. Adapted to the urban San Francisco environment, the building has a common arrangement of street level garage and entrance with living spaces elevated above the street. A narrow door to one side of the garage was for tradesman and household servants – giving them an informal entry to the basement level and rear yard of the property – while family and guests would arrive through the formal entrance marked by a tall triangular arch opening and stairs to the upper-story flats. Small pointed arch openings with metal grilles give the feeling of Medieval arrow slits, while quoining at the building corners was meant to evoke heavy stone construction. The upper stories are spanned by an angled bay window, a ubiquitous San Francisco feature, but also reminiscent of oriels found on Medieval castles. At the top of the facade, the peaked parapet conceals an otherwise flat roof, but evokes the dramatic parapets and battlements of the Tudor style.

Manning Baldwin's residential flats buildings on Cabrillo Street initially got a lot of local press. Articles in the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Bulletin praised the extensive development and touted the builders' use of new stucco technology and fine interior finishes.

But by October of 1928, Manning & Baldwin had defaulted on their payments on the properties before they were able to profit from their project. They soon declared bankruptcy and all eight buildings along the south side of Cabrillo Street, between 25th and 26th avenues, were put up for public auction. Ongoing litigation among interested parties, no doubt exacerbated by the looming Depression that would hit the nation hard in 1929, confused and delayed occupancy of the buildings.

Newspaper articles suggest that ownership of the properties evenutally reverted to, or was re-purchased, by the couple who had initially sold them to Manning Baldwin; Arvid H. And Albertina (Alba) H. Bergstrom. Arvid Bergstrom was a general contractor and the couple lived in Laurel Heights. They do not appear to have lived in any of the flats on Cabrillo Street, but as early as 1933, residents William A. and Jean M. Siebert are known to have lived in the flat at 2345 Cabrillo Street and stayed for a number of years. William was a clerk for a gum importer.

By 1935, the property was owned by Jessie B. Finneran. She and her husband Frank lived in the unit addressed 2345 Cabrillo. They operated a grocery store on Valencia Street in the Mission District. By 1940, Jessie was widowed, however, and appears to have moved closer to the family grocery store that she continued to run.

By 1946, the building was owned by Joseph and Eva B. Segal. Joseph worked for the Commercial Paper Corporation. His World War II registration indicates that he and Eva lived just a block away on 27th Avenue during the war, but afterward must have decided to purchase property – perhaps with help of the G.I. Bill – and acquired 2433-2435 Cabrillo Street. They continued to live on 27th Avenue, however, and must have rented out both flats on Cabrillo Street. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the tenants at 2433 Cabrillo were the Kincaid family. Kenneth G. Kincaid was a retired Army Medical Corps Major, married to Maude. Their adult son, Robert M. Kincaid, lived with them. He was initially listed as a mechanic, but later became a photographer.

By 1950, the building had been purchased by Willis E. Gallatin. The Kincaids continued to live in unit 2433, while Gallatin and his family lived in unit 2435. Willis Gallatin was a fireman for the City and County of San Francisco. He had a wife named Sarah, and the couple's two adult children, Grace and Edward lived with them. Edward worked as grocery clerk.

By 1960, Willis Gallatin had sold the property and both flats appear to have been tenant-occupied in following decades, with no owners listed as residents of the the address.