Phone Transfer
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Gorb70

Here is one of a few remaining art deco phone transfer buildings hidden in neighborhoods around San Francisco. Many thanks to Gorb70 for info. 06-07

Buildings like this handled calls close to home as telephone service spread across the city. The equipment inside did the work, while the decorated exterior helped the building fit into the neighborhood. It is an interesting bit of everyday infrastructure hiding in plain sight.

The exact address of the building in this photo is unknown, so its present use is unclear. If it is still standing, it may have a very different job from the one it was built to do.

UPDATE: The location and current status of this particular phone building remain unconfirmed. 09-26

Royal Insurance (Closed)
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Gorb70

At the corner of Sansome and Pine Streets, the Royal Insurance Building gives downtown San Francisco a splash of color. White marble, red brick, and green-and-white trim set it apart from its neighbors. Then there is the entrance, with a clock held between a lion and a unicorn. It is worth stopping long enough to see what else is tucked into the stonework. 06-07

The building went up in 1907, just after the earthquake and fire had devastated the city. Designed for the Royal Insurance Company, it was one of the first new high-rises to rise from the rebuilding. Its grand doorway made a strong introduction for a company in the business of promising security.

Look closely at the entrance and there are more small details, including carved emblems and flowers around the clock. It is a lot of ornament for an insurance office, but that is part of the fun of finding an old building like this on an ordinary downtown walk.

UPDATE: The Royal Insurance Building was converted from offices into residences in the mid-2000s. Its colorful exterior and ornate entrance remain on Sansome Street. 09-26

C and H Pure Cane Sugar
Crockett, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Coming into Crockett, it is hard to miss the big rooftop sign for C&H Pure Cane Sugar. The letters rise above the refinery and have been part of the town’s skyline for generations. A sugar factory is already quite a sight, but this one announces itself from a distance. 09-08

C&H began refining sugar in Crockett in 1906. The familiar rooftop sign went up in 1956, replacing an earlier sign from the 1920s. For anyone passing along the Carquinez Strait, it became a handy way to know exactly where they were.

The refinery is still working, though its sugarcane now comes from places beyond Hawaii. The old C&H name remains, and the sign has been updated with LED lighting while keeping its familiar lettering.

UPDATE: The Crockett refinery continues to operate, and its towering sign still shines above town. 09-26

Placerville Soda Works (Closed)
Placerville, CA
Photo courtesy Steve Strickland

Along Main Street in Placerville, the Placerville Soda Works has been standing since Gold Rush days. The stone lower floor went up in 1859 for John Pearson, with walls thick enough to help keep things cool inside. A brick second story was added in 1897, giving the soda business more room for bottling. 11-09

Pearson made good use of what lay beneath the building, too. An old mine shaft provided cool storage for ice, while a water-powered elevator moved heavy cases between floors. That is a lot of clever machinery behind a Main Street storefront.

The business became known as Placerville Soda Works after Pearson’s family sold its equipment and stock in 1904. Since then, the building has hosted a changing collection of shops and gathering places. The soda bottles are long gone, but the old stone and brick remain.

UPDATE: The Prospector Saloon and Arcade, the building’s most recent tenant, closed in March 2026. The historic Soda Works building still stands on Main Street and is currently vacant. 09-26