1105 Battery Street

I really love this ghost sign. In an almost irrational, obsessive-aesthetic way. Something about the brick, the dinky little lamp, the arched second story doorway, the colors of the partial ghost signs. It doesn’t help that those partial signs pose such a tantalizing historical mystery. What is the full name of that lager?  What is the full name of that restaurant? Is that a Gallo Salame sign at the bottom?

Now you know what keeps me up at night…

From my research I found the building was built in 1907 for the Independent Wood Co and is San Francisco Historical Landmark 104. It’s also served as a restaurant/bar and a sailor’s boarding house. Historical photos have been frustratingly elusive.