As one consequence of the 1849 Gold Rush and California’s admittance to the Union a year later, San Francisco was selected by the United States Congress in 1852 to be the site of a branch mint. By 1869, a new site at Fifth and Mission Streets had been acquired and plans were being drawn under the supervision of Alfred Bult Mullet, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department.
A monumental Classical Revival scheme was chosen, combining the austerity of the Greek Revival with the dignity of the Tuscan Doric order and the majesty of Roman scale and proportions. Sandstone from Newcastle Island in British Columbia was shipped in by three schooners for the facing of the upper floors and for the six colossal columns on the portico. The entire building sat on a Rocklin granite foundation five feet deep, designed to keep thieves from tunneling into the vaults. Although little beyond the base and the outdoor staircase was granite, someone dubbed the building “The Granite Lady,” and the name stuck.
At a cost of approximately $2 million (which wouldn’t pay for the ground it sits on today in modern real estate prices), the Mint was completed and occupied in 1874. By 1880, the Granite Lady was producing 60 percent of U.S. gold and silver coins, and until the Fort Knox depository opened in 1937, its vaults would hold fully a third of the country's gold reserves. It survived the 1906 earthquake and fire with great heroism, and served its citizens for 63 years. The "Old Mint," as it is known locally, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Preserved in its 1874 glory, the San Francisco Mint will be open to the public in its entirety for the first time as part of the Mint Project. The Old Mint, one of San Francisco’s most significant architectural treasures, will be transformed into a 21st century mixed-use cultural center that is part history museum, part visitor’s center, and part locally-focused retail. The building will function as a starting place for tourists and residents to discover and to learn about the rich history and culture of the Bay Area.
One of only five buildings in San Francisco designated a National Historic Landmark, by 2012, the Mint site at the heart of downtown San Francisco will house:
This revitalized corner of Fifth and Mission streets will become a year-round destination for both locals and tourists.
Click here to learn more about The Mint Project.
A monumental Classical Revival scheme was chosen, combining the austerity of the Greek Revival with the dignity of the Tuscan Doric order and the majesty of Roman scale and proportions. Sandstone from Newcastle Island in British Columbia was shipped in by three schooners for the facing of the upper floors and for the six colossal columns on the portico. The entire building sat on a Rocklin granite foundation five feet deep, designed to keep thieves from tunneling into the vaults. Although little beyond the base and the outdoor staircase was granite, someone dubbed the building “The Granite Lady,” and the name stuck.
At a cost of approximately $2 million (which wouldn’t pay for the ground it sits on today in modern real estate prices), the Mint was completed and occupied in 1874. By 1880, the Granite Lady was producing 60 percent of U.S. gold and silver coins, and until the Fort Knox depository opened in 1937, its vaults would hold fully a third of the country's gold reserves. It survived the 1906 earthquake and fire with great heroism, and served its citizens for 63 years. The "Old Mint," as it is known locally, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Preserved in its 1874 glory, the San Francisco Mint will be open to the public in its entirety for the first time as part of the Mint Project. The Old Mint, one of San Francisco’s most significant architectural treasures, will be transformed into a 21st century mixed-use cultural center that is part history museum, part visitor’s center, and part locally-focused retail. The building will function as a starting place for tourists and residents to discover and to learn about the rich history and culture of the Bay Area.
One of only five buildings in San Francisco designated a National Historic Landmark, by 2012, the Mint site at the heart of downtown San Francisco will house:
- * a major new history museum of San Francisco and the Bay Area
- * a proposed new location for the San Francisco Visitors Information Center
- * venues for prominent Bay Area chefs and vintners and sustainable local foodways and artisans
- * retail location for authentic Bay Area merchandise and reproductions
- * multiple rental spaces for private events and cultural festivals
This revitalized corner of Fifth and Mission streets will become a year-round destination for both locals and tourists.
Click here to learn more about The Mint Project.