716 Montgomery Street (San Francisco, California)

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San Francisco, CA 94111

716 Montgomery Street, continues a tradition of innovation and creativity that began over 150 years ago. Originally a San Francisco
beach, Montgomery Street became a burial ground for ships abandoned by Gold Rush fevered crews. 716 Montgomery was built from
the hull of a schooner moored in 1849. Nestled between theaters and Turkish baths, brothels and banks, our studio was at the center
of the young city. Scores of immigrants from all walks of life set up shop. At the end of the 19th century, the building had been home
to everything from a Chinese Laundry to a brothel.

By the 20th Century, the building was transformed into artist's lofts. The writer Bret Harte, whom Mark Twain credited as his mentor,
wrote his famed novel "The Luck of Roaring Camp" here. Ralph Stackpole, the artist who created the sculptures in front of San
Francisco's landmark Pacific Coast Stock Exchange and the murals within Coit Tower, lived and worked in this studio.

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo arrived in San Francisco November 10, 1930. Hailed as "The King and Queen of Montgomery Street,"
they lived at 716 Montgomery on and off for 10 years. Frescos painted by Rivera were part of the building until they were donated to
the SFMOMA.

The Barbary Coast has always had an international reputation for harboring delinquents and rebels of all persuasions. It is a haven for
artists and rebels, social experimentation and cultural innovation. History has a way of being made in San Francisco.

Today, the Hull Building is home to creative artists, including architect Eric Corey Freed and his firm, organicARCHITECT.

In this building

  1. Foster Gwin Gallery
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Coordinates:   37°47'45"N   122°24'11"W

Comments

  • Diego Rivera and Frida were only at 716 Montgomery from November 10, 1930 to May 30,1931.
This article was last modified 2 years ago