The Call/Spreckels Building was built in 1898 by the Reid Brothers.
Built of steel and Oregon sandstone, it cost a whopping
one million dollars to erect. At 315 feet tall, it was for years
the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The distinctive
domed top made it an easily recognizable West Coast landmark.
Its structure managed to survive the great earthquake and fire of 1906,
and it was able to be repaired for continued use after the disaster.
In 1938 Albert Roller did a drastic remodel of the building, after
a push for more office space. The dome was removed, and six new
floors of offices were added to the top. The building was also encased
in smooth white marble, giving it a decidedly updated art-deco look --
and it was renamed, Central Tower.
You can still visit this building in San Francisco at the corner of
Market and Third Streets, however these vintage postcard images are my
web tribute to that beautiful old original building.
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