Each of these articles I found online adds another small facet to the strange history of this building.
I’d heard of this idea of converting the Armory to creative uses a long time ago when I moved to the Mission in 1993. A couple years later I visited PS1 in New York and it occurred to me that the Armory could be just as cool.
The 3 articles with * are the most useful.
- Developer wants penthouses atop armory*
Nov 10, 2006
http://www.examiner.com/a-390557~Developer_wants_penthouses_atop_armory.html
- Owner plans fresh invasion of Armory
April 9, 2004
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2004/04/12/story4.html
- Inside the Belly of the Building:
Behind the Armory’s deformed brick facade lies a potential artists’ paradise*October 9, 2000
(really great photos, nice narrative)
- Mission condo project opens a can of worms
Supes’ decision to halt construction has broader effect
April 12, 2006
- Mission Armory plan sees condo complex;
Landmark building vacant for 34 yearsApril 10, 2004
- Dot-com developer storms S.F. armory
Mission district fortress to be transformed into multimedia haven
February 18, 2000http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2000/02/21/story1.html
- Cursed Armory Has Hexed Developers for Over Twenty Years*
October 3, 2000
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2000/10/03/lloyd.DTL
- Waiting for a Miracle in the Mission
January 28, 1996
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/01/28/SC25569.DTL&hw=Armory&sn=004&sc=645
- Armory sold for $1.25 million
July 24, 1996
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1996/07/24/NEWS5223.dtl&hw=Armory&sn=005&sc=625
- random info on a blog. link at bottom explain the syle of brick:
http://sf.metblogs.com/archives/2006/11/the_armory_building_at_14th_an.phtml
From the National Register of Historic Places:
San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal
Also known as Coastal Artillery Headquarters & Training Base
San Francisco County – 1800 Mission St., San Francisco
(22 acres, 1 building)
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Woollett & Woollett, McLeran & Peterson
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Federal
Historic Function: Defense, Social
Historic Sub-function: Arms Storage
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use