This church dates from the 1850s, when it was constructed in the midst of brothels that flourished during the gold rush boom. The plaque under the clock counsels “Son, Observe the Time and Fly from Evil” (Ecclesiasticus 4:23). From the 1850s to 1891, the church operated as a cathedral. In 1891, it was replaced by the First Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption and became a parish church, continuing to use the same name it had as a cathedral.

Old St. Mary’s survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake but succumbed to the fires that swept through the city a day later. The flames were so hot that they melted the church bells and marble altar. All that remained was the exterior brick walls and the bell tower. The renovation of the church was completed in 1909. From 2011–2012, the church underwent additional renovations, and some of the crosses on the roof were removed.

Credits and Sources:

“Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral Holy Family Chinese Mission.”http://www.oldsaintmarys.org/html/history.html.

Photographs courtesy of Travel San Francisco, American Society for Environmental History, and the Library of Congress

Note: Old Saint Mary’s Church is a San Francisco designed landmark (# 2).