Structures and Monuments in Which California Stone was Used

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Structures and Monuments in Which
California Stone was Used

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San Francisco, California – Laurel Hill Cemetery after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake – in the “Various Aspects of the San Francisco Disaster” article (from The Monumental News Magazine, Vol. XVIII, No. 8, August, 1906, pp. 555-558.)

How the Monuments were Demolished.

“Another picture shows how an elaborate private monument in Laurel Hill Cemetery was wrenched to pieces. The shaft and ornamental carving may be seen lying on the ground. The die is supported by one of the corner columns and is on the verge of falling. On the other hand the Italian marble statue mounted on a boulder pedestal in the same cemetery shown in another picture, escaped uninjured, though seemingly much less substantially mounted.

“A Damaged Monument in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco.”

(Photo caption, pp. 557) “A Damaged Monument in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco.”

“A Statue Uninjured in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco.”

(Photo caption, pp. 557) “A Statue Uninjured in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco.”

Scientist Explains Twisting of Monuments.

“Prof. Edgar L. Larkin, of the Mount Lowe Observatory, in California, has made the accompanying interesting diagram showing the displacement of monuments in the cemeteries, which appeared in a recent issue of the Scientific American. He says:

“‘A cemetery filled with monuments, columns, and obelisks is a capital place to study the effects of an earthquake. Amplitudes and azimuths of disturbed monoliths and pillars reveal at once the action of the earth upheavals. I had no instruments with which to measure, so had to make estimates.

“‘Laurel Hill Cemetery I found a field of distorted, shifted, turned, cracked, overthrown, and ruined columns, pillars, shafts, capitals in white marble, gray granite, and other materials. Angels’ wings were broken, sculptures were round about, and heavy bases were twisted out of their original positions. At first I noted distortions on both sides of an avenue of tombs. Here are directions in which the tops of fallen columns and monuments were pointing along either side, in a distance of 150 feet: N. 1, S. 2, E. 9, W. 5, N.E. 4, N.W. 5, S.E. 5, S.W. 5. From this I thought that the chief distortion was toward the east. Then facings of those that were skewed around on their bases, but not overthrown, were noted as follows: N. 1, S. 1, E. 2, W. 1, N.E. 4, N.W. 0, S.E. 2, S.W. 1. All these had been twisted around against intense friction at their bases. The one marked N. originally faced eastward, and the one shown as facing S. once faced westward. I examined many others, hoping to make order out of chaos, or find a general trend in direction, but could not. The conclusion reached was that the monuments were thrown over and twisted in every direction.

“How The Earthquake Scattered The Monuments.

Figs. 1 to 12 show the displacements of monuments in San Francisco cemeteries. The larger squares are bases of stone resting on the ground. The smaller squares and the two circles (Figs. 6 and 8) are bases of high monuments. The greatest shifting measured was 10 ½ inches. The lateral movements appear to have been in all directions. Fig. 13 shows a double displacement of two bases and monument. The square 1 is a large granite base; the square 2 is a second stone upon which the column 3 rested. Figs. 14 to 25 indicate the positions of over-thrown monuments. The two low monuments with urns (Figs. 21 and 22) could not have been thrown by the same oscillations of the earth.’” (Diagram caption, pp. 557)

“‘The Oddfellows’ Cemetery was explored. This is more modern than Laurel Hill; the monuments are higher and heavier. They were fastened down by lead in some cases. The most complete confusion reigned. The displacements likewise were in every direction. An observer with instruments, upon making surveys during a month might find a majority of fallen columns pointing one way, or facings, but it is doubtful. The earth’s surface surely moved in every direction. As nearly every brick and stone building was destroyed, they could not be studied. The great Fairmount Hotel has rents in the corners, and several high up, along near the middle of the facades. The new $5,000,000 post office is torn near the corners. The Towering steel and stone Spreckels Building stands as a skeleton, but looking down on a wilderness of ruins of all old-type buildings. For the new city will be erected around ribs of rigid steel. the accompanying diagram shows roughly the distortions in the cemeteries. The line N.S. is due north and south. Twistings of obelisks that did not fall range from five to seventy degrees in all directions from their original foundations. My impressions gained in the cemetery were confirmed upon receipt by mail of a seismograph sent me by F. M. Clarke, steward and executive officer of the California Veterans’ Home, Yountville, Napa County. It indeed shows that the ground moved in every possible direction. On leaving the cemetery I wrote an article for the papers, saying that it was a circular disturbance, and the graph reveals a circle near the center. Mr. Clarke says: ‘The first movement had a N. and S. direction, but was swiftly compounded with a circular, twisting movement, accompanied with severe upward thrusts. The first movement was decidedly wave-like; then a cessation, followed by the severe twist.’ Napa is 45 miles north of San Francisco, and San José, 50 south. Both were destroyed.’”

San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Lick Monument (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)

“1894 Lick Monument, San Francisco”
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Loews Warfield Theater – Interior (From “Mines and Mineral Resources of Tuolumne County, California,” by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 45, No. 1, January 1949, pp. 47-83.)

“Marble from the Bell Columbia Marble Quarry* was used before 1928 in San Francisco in the interior of the 22-story Standard Oil Building, in the Golden Gate Theater, Loews Warfield Theater, and the Metropolitan Life Building. (* This quarry was also known as the Bell Marble Quarry.)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – Lone Mountain Cemetery* – the Col. T. J. Nevins Monument (* According to “San Francisco Cemeteries” by John W. Blackett, the Lone Mountain Cemetery was closed and those buried in the cemetery moved to other cemeteries).

(The following article is from the San Francisco Evening Bulletin, Vol. XVIII, #53, 6/8/1864, 3:4)

“THE NEVINS MONUMENT. Grant & Devine, marble-cutters of this city, have nearly completed the monument to the memory of the late Col. T.J. Nevins, the first Superintendent of Public Schools in San Francisco. It will be remembered that his remains were brought hither from Nevada Territory, where he was drowned in 1861. The Legislature authorized the Board of Education to appropriate $650 towards defraying the cost of the monument to his memory, the remainder of the amount needed being contributed by citizens. The monument is to be erected in Lone Mountain, and will be ready to set up some time next week. It is cut from Tuolumne county marble, and will be seventeen feel high, above the plinth, which is of Angel Island sandstone. The marble base, resting on this plinth, is 2 feet 10 inches square, and 1 foot 6 inches high. On this will rest the die, above that a cap or c rulce (?), supporting a tapering shaft, the whole surmounted by an elegant capital and urn. One side of the shaft bears a medallion bust of the deceased, which was modeled and cut by Mr. Devine. On one side of the die appears this inscription: ‘Thomas J. Nevins; Born in Hanover , H.H., June 5, 1795; died in Silver City, N.T., January 14, 1861.’ Another side bears this inscription: ‘The first Agent of the American Tract Society on this coast; a Pioneer in the interests of Religion, Temperance, Charity and good Morals; and a promoter of the organization and labors of many leading associations for the advancement of the Public Welfare.’ A third side bears the following: ‘The Board of Education and Citizens of San Francisco unite in erecting this Monument to his memory as the Founder of Common Schools in this city and State, and as the First Superintendent of Common Schools in San Francisco.’ The monument is designed with much taste, and the California marble of which it is formed is a hard and handsome stone.”
San Francisco (?), San Francisco County, California – Masonic Cemetery – Group of Entrance Buildings (The following photograph and article are from “New Entrance Structures, Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco” (PDF), in The Monumental News, Vol. XVII, No. 4, April 1905, pp. 278.

“Group of entrance buildings, Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco.”

New Entrance Structures, Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco

“The imposing entrance to the Masonic Cemetery in San Mateo County, Cal., a short distance from San Francisco, was recently completed at a cost of about $50,000. The Wilson-Lyon Construction Company, of San Francisco, were the contracts, and T. Paterson Ross, architect, of San Francisco, has had personal supervision of the construction.

“The structure is of California granite, from the quarry of the Wilson-Lyon Co., near Raymond, Madera County, 165 miles from San Francisco. The setting of the granite work occupied over two months, and was very successfully performed.

“The entire building is constructed of this white granite, with Spanish tile roof, with considerable ornamentation. The total height of the tower is 55 feet and the arch 18 feet. The full width of the building is 120 feet.

“The chapel (shown at the left in the photograph above) has an open timber roof with oak finish, with marble columns at the chancel.

“At the end of the chapel, behind the chancel, is the receiving vault, connecting underground, with 100 or more catacombs, all marble lined, and closed by doors with heavy bronze hinges, and art glass effects.

“The office building (at the right of the photograph above) contains offices and waiting-rooms, mortuary conveniences, superintendent’s offices, etc.

“The structure is massive and imposing throughout, and one of the finest buildings of the kind on the Pacific coast.

“The cemetery is under the management of the Masonic Cemetery Association of San Francisco, and is one of the most attractive of the suburban burial grounds in the neighborhood of that city. It occupies a fine site outside the city limits, and the new entrance structures form a fitting addition to its other substantial improvements. It is conveniently situated for interments from the city, and can be reached from the heart of San Francisco in a half-hour’s ride on the electric cars.

“Californian.”
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - Merchants' Exchange Building on California Street (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

"About 800 tons of (stone from the Columbia Marble Company's Quarry located about 2 ½ miles north of Columbia, Tuolumne County) was used in the Merchants' Exchange Building, on California street, San Francisco...."
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Metropolis National Bank Building (The following information is from The Bankers’ Magazine: Rhodes Journal of Banking and the Bankers’ Magazine Consolidated, Vol. LXXV, July to December 1907, New York: The Bankers Publishing Co., available on Google Books – Full View Books.

According to the chapter entitled, “San Francisco’s New Bank Buildings,” by Horatio F. Stoll, pp. 873-874, this steel-framed bank building, which was under construction in 1907, used Colusa sandstone quarried in Colusa County, California, for the exterior facing of the top 13 floors. The first floor exterior was clad in marble. The interior of the bank was finished in black and yellow Pavonazzo marble.
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Metropolis National Bank Building (known as the Merchants Bank in 1913) (From Report XIV of the State Mineralogist – Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report – Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part II. “The Counties of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo,” by Walter W. Bradley, Field Assistant (field work in October, 1913), California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 173-370.)
  
  “…(sandstone quarried by the Colusa Sandstone Company Quarry east of Sites in Colusa County, California) for the following prominent buildings in San Francisco was furnished by the Colusa Company: Butler (corner Geary and Stockton streets); French-American Bank; Monadnock (ten stories); Metropolis (now Merchants) National Bank; Aronson (corner Third and Mission streets); and the Gunst on the opposite corner; Kamm, above the Call Building; three Home Telephone buildings and the Spreckels band stand in Golden Gate Park….”
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Metropolitan Life Building Interior (From “Mines and Mineral Resources of Tuolumne County, California,” by Clarence A. Logan, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 45, No. 1, January 1949, pp. 47-83.)

“Marble from the Bell Columbia Marble Quarry* was used before 1928 in San Francisco in the interior of the 22-story Standard Oil Building, in the Golden Gate Theater, Loews Warfield Theater, and the Metropolitan Life Building. (* This quarry was also known as the Bell Marble Quarry.)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - the Miller, Sloss and Scott Building (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Sandstone from the McGilvray Stone Company sandstone quarry, located three fourths of a mile east of Sites, Colusa County, was used in the construction of the Miller, Sloss and Scott Building at the corner of First and Mission streets.
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the Exterior 2 lower floors located on the northeast corner of Montgomery and Bush Streets (from The Early Days and Men of California, by William F. Swasey, Pacific Press Publishing Co., Oakland, Cal., San Francisco, New York, and London, 1891, pp. 344. (This book is available in Google Books.)
  
  “At present Mr. Mills is engaged in erecting, on the northeast corner of Montgomery and Bush Streets, in San Francisco, a building that will surpass in size, cost, and imposing magnificence, anything ever yet erected on the Pacific Coast. It is to be essentially a California production in all the materials used in its construction, Inyo marble, as white and pure as anything ever quarried at Carrara, entering largely into its walls. It is to be elaborately cut in chaste and beautiful designs, and is intended to be a pattern for the introduction of this, the finest marble that the world can produce, for capitalists to copy after in future construction in San Francisco. The building itself is being built literally without regard to cost, and will be a lasting monument to the memory of the ablest and most successful financier that California has ever had as a resident within her borders.”
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the Lintel or cap over the Bush St. Entrance (The following quotation is from “California in The Quarry Business,” in Stone Magazine, Vol. IV, No. 1, May 1891, pp. 20. This book is available in Google Books.)
  
  “California in The Quarry Business,”
  
  “A large block of marble arrived at San Francisco, Cal., recently from Inyo county, consigned to the Inyo Marble Company. It weighs seventeen tons, and will be the cap or lintel over the Bush street entrance of the new Mills building. In about four weeks the work of placing it in the building will commence. The first two stories, thirty-two feet high, will be constructed of elaborately carved white marble.”
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the First Stories on the Exterior & Interior Decoration – Excerpts from “California Marble” (pdf), in Stone Magazine, Vol. VIII, No. 3, February 1894, pp. 254-257.
  
  “Inyo county marble – Near the base of the Inyo mountains in Owens valley near the lake of the same name, lies what is perhaps the largest and most wonderful deposits of marble that has been as yet discovered. It is impossible to describe truthfully these vast deposits of beautifully colored stones.
  
  “There is white, black, blue and yellow in pure colors, purple veined, black and gold, making a grand variety of colored marbles very beautiful for interior decoration. The white marble is perfectly clear, the grain is fine, very compact and will stand great pressure; it is pure dolomite, therefore, will take on and retain a very fine polish.
  
  “The first two stories of the Mills Building in this city are, as well as a greater part of the interior finish of same, done in this material, and is a most creditable piece of work, the main entrance to the building shows what may be done in the way of relief with the white marble.
  
  “The black is almost identical in color with the Belgium black marble, it is very difficult to distinguish one from the other when polished. The yellow marble varies from a delicate cream to a dark mottled orange, there are veins of deeper yellow with fern like markings similar to moss agate; is particularly adapted for furniture and interior decorations.
  
  “The California Architect and Building News.”
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - Mills Building (The following information is from: “California Marble,” in The Manufacturer and Builder, Vol. 26, Issue 5, May 1894, pg. 108-109.)
  
  California Marble.
  
  “Near the base of the Inyo mountains, in Owens Valley, California, near the lake of the same name, lie what are, perhaps, the largest and most wonderful deposits of marble that have been as yet discovered. It is impossible to describe truthfully these vast deposits of beautifully colored stone.
  
  “There is white, black, blue and yellow in pure colors, purple veined, black and gold, making a grand variety of colored marbles, very beautiful for interior decorations. The white marble is perfectly clear, the grain is fine, very compact, and will stand great pressure; it is a pure dolomite, and therefore will take on and retain a very fine polish. The first two stories of the Mills building in San Francisco, as well as a greater part of the interior finish of the same, are done in this material. The main entrance to the building shows what may be done in the way of relief with the white marble. The black is almost identical with the Belgium black marble; it is very difficult to distinguish one from the other when polished. The yellow marbles vary from a delicate cream to a dark mottled orange. There are veins of deeper yellow, with fernlike markings similar to moss agate, and it is particularly adapted for furniture and interior decorations.”
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the First Two Stories (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, San Francisco, California, 1906.)
  
  Marble (dolomite) quarried at the Inyo quarries in Inyo County was used in the Mills Building in San Francisco – inside and outside. The Inyo marble (dolomite) quarries are located at base of Inyo range between Keeler and Lone Pine.
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the two Lower Floors (The following information is from Skyscrapers: A Social History of the Very Tall Building in America, by George H. Douglas, Publisher: McFarland & Company 2004, pp. 240.
  
  According to this section on the Mills building (located at 20 Montgomery Street ), “The two lower floors are of white Inyo marble veneer….”
- San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mills Building – the two Lower Floors (history and photographs) (The following information is from “The Mills Building, San Francisco” presented by the Swig Company, LLC)
  
  This article provides an interesting, extensive history of the Mills building and provides several photographs so that you can see the two types of stone used in the construction. According to this web site, the Mills building was commissioned by Darius Ogden Mills in 1891. The Mills building survived the earthquake, although the interior needed restoration during 1907. Through the years the building was enlarged through various additions. “The first two stories of the Mills Building are constructed of white Inyo marble from Keeler, California….” The article notes that the building was built upon a steel frame rather than masonry. Jaune Fleuri marble was used for the curved staircases in the Montgomery Street lobby, and black Belgian marble and Roman travertine were used for the lobby interior features. (More photographs of the building are available in the “Photo Gallery” section of the web site.)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mosconi Center (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)

“circa 1900’s Big Gun Mining Co. crushed quartz from Big Gun property at Michigan Bluff, CA, for Mosconi Center...per Epperson family”
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - the Mutual Savings Bank Building (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Sandstone from the McGilvray Stone Company sandstone quarry, located three fourths of a mile east of Sites, Colusa County, was used in the construction of the Mutual Savings Bank Building at the corner of Market and Geary streets.
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California – the Mutual Savings Bank Building (photograph) The following information is from Online Archive of California (OAC)

Title of photograph: “Geary St. from Mutual Savings Bank. Colusa sandstone badly spalled”

Collection: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection

Contributing Institution: The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - Native Sons' Building & Rotunda of City Hall
- Carrara Marble Quarry, Amador County (marble) - Used in rotunda of City Hall and entrance of Native Sons' Building in San Francisco. The color of the marble in the quarry ranged from white with black streaks, white, and ash-colored marble. (The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, San Francisco, California, 1906.)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California - the Odd Fellows Cemetery (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

The Altamont Sandstone Quarry, which was located one quarter of a mile southeast of the Altamont Station, Alameda County, "...was operated until 1888, the principal shipments being to San Francisco, where it was used in the Odd Fellows' cemetery. The stone is a massive, buff-colored sandstone, with occasional hard nodules in face."
San Francisco, California - Odd Fellows Cemetery after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake - in the “Various Aspects of the San Francisco Disaster” article (from The Monumental News Magazine, Vol. XVIII, No. 8, August, 1906, pp. 555-558.)

How the Monuments were Demolished.

“Another picture shows how an elaborate private monument in Laurel Hill Cemetery was wrenched to pieces. The shaft and ornamental carving may be seen lying on the ground. The die is supported by one of the corner columns and is on the verge of falling. On the other hand the Italian marble statue mounted on a boulder pedestal in the same cemetery shown in another picture, escaped uninjured, though seemingly much less substantially mounted.

Scientist Explains Twisting of Monuments.

“Prof. Edgar L. Larkin, of the Mount Lowe Observatory, in California, has made the accompanying interesting diagram showing the displacement of monuments in the cemeteries, which appeared in a recent issue of the Scientific American. He says:

“‘A cemetery filled with monuments, columns, and obelisks is a capital place to study the effects of an earthquake. Amplitudes and azimuths of disturbed monoliths and pillars reveal at once the action of the earth upheavals. I had no instruments with which to measure, so had to make estimates....”

“How The Earthquake Scattered The Monuments. Figs. 1 to 12 show the displacements of monuments in San Francisco cemeteries. The larger squares are bases of stone resting on the ground. The smaller squares and the two circles (Figs. 6 and 8) are bases of high monuments. The greatest shifting measured was 10 ½ inches. The lateral movements appear to have been in all directions. Fig. 13 shows a double displacement of two bases and monument. The square 1 is a large granite base; the square 2 is a second stone upon which the column 3 rested. Figs. 14 to 25 indicate the positions of over-thrown monuments. The two low monuments with urns (Figs. 21 and 22) could not have been thrown by the same oscillations of the earth.’” (Diagram caption, pp. 557)

“‘The Oddfellows’ Cemetery was explored. This is more modern than Laurel Hill; the monuments are higher and heavier. They were fastened down by lead in some cases. The most complete confusion reigned. The displacements likewise were in every direction. An observer with instruments, upon making surveys during a month might find a majority of fallen columns pointing one way, or facings, but it is doubtful. The earth’s surface surely moved in every direction. As nearly every brick and stone building was destroyed, they could not be studied. The great Fairmount Hotel has rents in the corners, and several high up, along near the middle of the facades. The new $5,000,000 post office is torn near the corners. The Towering steel and stone Spreckels Building stands as a skeleton, but looking down on a wilderness of ruins of all old-type buildings. For the new city will be erected around ribs of rigid steel. the accompanying diagram shows roughly the distortions in the cemeteries. The line N.S. is due north and south. Twistings of obelisks that did not fall range from five to seventy degrees in all directions from their original foundations. My impressions gained in the cemetery were confirmed upon receipt by mail of a seismograph sent me by F. M. Clarke, steward and executive officer of the California Veterans’ Home, Yountville, Napa County. It indeed shows that the ground moved in every possible direction. On leaving the cemetery I wrote an article for the papers, saying that it was a circular disturbance, and the graph reveals a circle near the center. Mr. Clarke says: ‘The first movement had a N. and S. direction, but was swiftly compounded with a circular, twisting movement, accompanied with severe upward thrusts. The first movement was decidedly wave-like; then a cessation, followed by the severe twist.’ Napa is 45 miles north of San Francisco, and San José, 50 south. Both were destroyed.’”

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