Construction on the Columbus Tower, also known as the Sentinel Building, began in the early twentieth century and was temporarily interrupted by the 1906 earthquake. Completed in 1907 (some sources say 1915), the tower is a steel-framed flatiron structure with a striking green patina, topped by a copper dome.

The Kingston Trio owned this building in the 1960s and later sold it to Francis Ford Coppola, who established an office here. Today, it houses Café Zoetrope, named for Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope.

Credits and Sources:

“Café Zoetrope.”http://www.cafecoppola.com/cafezoetrope/.

“Columbus Tower (Sentinel Building).”

http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf033.asp.

Photographs courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Note: The Columbus Tower/Sentinel Building is a San Francisco Landmark (#33).