Bars show the first and last years documented in the records. Gaps in the records leave exact move-in and move-out dates open.
Harry and Nina raised their family at No. 19. Harry worked as a mechanical engineer and later for Bechtel. Nina Elizabeth Nelson graduated from Mission High School. The 1950 census names daughters Sandra and Linda. By 1966, Sandra and her husband Robert O’Balle lived next door at No. 21.
Giusti family records 1950 census 1971 directory Sandra and Robert O’Balle
David conducted streetcars for the Market Street Railway and later Muni. Esther Lewis Shubert came from the Russian Empire and worked as a seamstress. Their daughters Frances and Muriel were born in San Francisco. Muriel edited Mission High School’s yearbook in 1940. Esther’s brother Max Lewis lived with the family in the early 1930s. Lodgers Salvador La Rue and Philip H. appear in the 1940 and 1950 censuses. Esther was still at No. 17 in 1958, when Polk listed her as a factory worker for Pacific Surgical Gown Co.
Shubert family records 1940 census 1950 census Muriel’s yearbook Esther’s 1958 directory entry
Samuel and Rose, both born in Russia, bought the building in 1926. They lived first at No. 21 and later at No. 19. Samuel worked in the scrap trade on Bryant Street and later co-owned a Seventh Street business that dealt in rags, bottles and metals. Their New York-born daughter Anne became a registrar for the Eureka Benevolent Society. A student listed as Pearl Mayerson in Mission High’s 1928 yearbook appears to be their younger daughter. The 1933 directory places both sisters with their parents. Rose died in March 1940. The following month, the census records Samuel as a widower paying $25 a month at No. 19. A man with the same name, birthplace and expected age appears in San Jose in 1950.
Mayerson family records Their son Irving 1926 sale Rose’s death record 1940 census Likely 1950 San Jose match
Roy was listed at No. 15 from the 1955–56 directory through 1967. The 1967 directory named Grace and recorded Roy’s work as a mechanic for the U.S. Navy.
Peter operated Atlas Pharmacy on Valencia Street and later across from Union Square. He and Eileen lived at No. 15 with their son Joseph, who served as a B-24 radio operator and gunner in World War II.
Maloney family records 1930 census and address 1940 census 1944 crew photograph
The 1968 directory gives the initials A. M. Hernandez. The 1971 directory prints Andre Hernandez, and the 1975 edition gives the middle initial.
Edith worked as a press feeder at Reynard Press. The firm had printed and published from 19th Street in the Mission and later became part of Jeffries Banknote Company.
James and Patricia, both born in California, lived here with daughters Nancy and Janice. James was an accountant at W. S. Boutell. The census spelled their name McCauley, and the city directories used Macauley.
Gordon was a clerk for Metropolitan Life. The 1941, 1942 and 1944 directories list him and Claire at No. 15. They appear in Belmont by 1948–49.
Leon served in the U.S. Army in World War I and was a Dairy Delivery Company salesman while he lived at No. 21. Henrietta died in 1933 at age 31. Leon was still listed here in 1936. They are buried together at Golden Gate National Cemetery.
No. 15 · 1968–70, 1975, 1980–82
José appears at No. 15 over several periods. The 1969–70 alphabetical directory names him with Hilda. The 1971 directory lists the flat as vacant, and the 1977 edition lists Po Ho.
Zamacona family records 1971 directory 1977 directory 1982 directory
Joseph worked in the knit-goods trade at 2541 Mission Street near 22nd. The 1926 directory also lists Catherine M. Martin at No. 17.
Leo worked in real estate in 1928 and sold uniforms by 1930. The directory gives his wife’s name as Agnes in 1928 and Marie in 1929 and 1930.
Lemuel was listed as a Christian Science practitioner during his years at No. 19. The 1910 directory has a bookbinder with the same name.
Edward appears in the street directories for 1975 and 1977. The 1977 alphabetical directory also names Magdalena at No. 17.
George was a laundry worker at the Fairmont Hotel when he lived on Guerrero Street with Alta and Larry. He was listed at No. 19 in 1975. In 1977, the directory placed all three here and described George as retired.
Fernando first appears by initial in 1980. The 1981 and 1982 directories give his first name, describe him as retired and name Lusia at the same flat.
James worked as an electrician. He and Zetta bought the lot in 1922 and lived at No. 21 after completing the building. They sold the building to the Mayersons in 1926. James was running an electrical contracting business by 1933. In 1950 the California-born couple lived on Ocean Avenue with their son James J. Both father and son worked as electricians.
Landini family records 1924 and 1925 directory entries 1926 sale 1950 census
Harold was an assistant cashier at Liberty Bank in 1926 and worked for Bank of Italy by 1927.
Edmund was born in Canada and worked in a liquor warehouse. Katherine and their daughter Edna were born in California. The 1941 directory lists Edna, a keypunch operator, at No. 21.
The 1941 and 1942 directories list Morris, a salesman, and Yetta at No. 19.
James supervised beverage sales when the 1950 census was taken. Lee worked in the metal foil industry, and the following year’s directory names her as an office secretary at Reynolds Metals.
Robert was a roofer for Humbert Roofing Company. Sandra had grown up at No. 19 with her parents, Harry and Nina Giusti, who still lived there when Sandra and Robert moved into No. 21.
The street directory gives his name at No. 19 in both 1980 and 1981, between the Lollar and Debra Patch listings.
Johnny was listed at No. 17 in 1981 and 1982. A contemporary newspaper identifies him as the former owner of Bajone’s jazz club around the corner at 1062 Valencia, now The Marsh. A John Bajone in the 1972 directory worked in construction and may have been the same person.
Lester managed a Woolworth store. A San Diego directory recorded the same couple and occupation in 1927. By 1939, that directory listed Lester as a vice president of Whitney & Co.
Otto worked as a baker on 22nd Street, around the corner from the flat he shared with Johanna.
The directory lists Sidney and Anna at No. 15 and links Sidney to the Sweater Shop.
Catherine appears in the 1926 directory at the same flat as Joseph J. and Rose Marx.
William was a watchmaker when he and Alice appeared at No. 15 in the directory.
Harold managed a fire insurance business and lived with Clara and their son Richard. Their relatives, Robert and Marjorie Wise, shared the flat with their children Robert and Shirley. The elder Robert was a teamster for a produce company.
The directory lists Po Ho at No. 15 in both its street and alphabetical sections.
The directory lists August Losso at No. 21. A likely match is the Italian-born carpenter of the same name who lived across the street with his daughter Irene and son-in-law Henry Zerbato. A younger August Losso also lived on the block.
Both the street and alphabetical sections of the 1980 directory list Thiesfeld at No. 17.
The 1982 street directory lists Debra at No. 19, where it had listed Robert Tyler the previous year.
Part of the Irving Institute campus occupied the present lot. The school and later boarding houses appear in city directories and in the 1900 census.
Irving Institute · 1896 and 1898
Edward, an Episcopal minister born in Mississippi, was the principal. Frances, born in Illinois, studied fine art in Europe and supervised drawing and painting. The couple lived at the school.
Born in Reading, Massachusetts, Ella taught at Mills Seminary before teaching English and history at Irving Institute. She lived at the Hill and Valencia campus and later became principal.
Mary B. Cochrane, Nellie M. Downs, Helen A. Handy, Mary P. Sumner, F. E. Curtis, Isabella D. Rodgers, Evelyn Sperry and Nellie Vaughan are listed at the school’s Valencia Street address.
The city directory lists Elma as a teacher at the school, where she also lived.
Sarah graduated from the school in 1886. The 1890 directory lists her teaching and living at the school. Later directories still place her there.
Jeannette graduated in 1886, then taught music and lived at the school by 1890. She performed as a contralto, studied music in France and married Adolph Kraft in 1899.
Clara was 11 when a Sausalito newspaper reported that she went home from Irving Institute for the holiday. She probably boarded at the school. She later taught primary school, co-wrote a reading manual, and became registrar of San Francisco State Teachers College.
The city directory lists Regina as a teacher living at the school.
Sophie taught at Irving Institute while living on Pine Street in 1889. The directories later list her living at the school.
Louise grew up in Turner, Maine. She taught elocution and performed dramatic recitals. She and Edna Snell-Poulsen ran the Lyceum of Expression on O’Farrell Street.
City directories list art and music teachers, a kindergarten principal and a school matron at the campus address. The entries record where they lived while the school operated on the corner.
Both were teachers and campus residents in 1897. They continued teaching after the move to California Street. Estella later wrote about the Monterey pine.
Irving Institute · 1895, 1897 and 1898
The sisters had been principals of Rose Terrace School. The 1895, 1897 and 1898 directories list both as teachers living at the Irving Institute address on Valencia. Jessie grew up in Ohio and went on to teach art and exhibit her pastels in California.
Isabella and her children Eliza, Isabella, Jessie and George came from Scotland. Eliza made dresses, younger Isabella set type, Jessie sewed and George worked as a salesman. Paul Arndt, an electrician born in Germany, lodged with them in 1900. The Sanborn map shows the former school wing extending onto the present lot.
Machinist John Emerson and his wife Nettie lived with four lodgers at 1060 Valencia, the corner end of the former school building. Isabell O’Brien ran The Irving at 1070 Valencia, the detached boarding house where the city directory lists Sarah E. Gouldin.
1900 census and city directories Sarah E. Gouldin’s records Errol and Blanche Wilson’s records