1401 Howard at 10th
SOMA
St Joseph’s Church was founded, at 10th and Howard, in 1861, by Archbishop Joseph Alemany. The church, home to over 300 mostly Irish families, was destroyed in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.
The church we see today was constructed in 1913. By that time, the Irish of the neighborhood had moved away and the church welcomed families from Latin America, the Philippines and the Pacific Islands. By 1980 St. Joseph’s was the largest Filipino parish in the US.
The two cupolas rise above the SOMA area, making St. Joseph’s one of the most prominent buildings in the area
The church building was designed by San Francisco architect John J. Foley in the Romanesque Revival style.
It is cruciform in shape, with an exterior constructed of brick, covered in stucco. The main entrance is through doors set inside three large Roman arches just below a large rose window.
Saint Joseph’s Church is a San Francisco Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. The goal is to fully rehabilitate the church structure into offices, for what is estimated to be $15million. The church, closed after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and has been vacant and neglected since then.
Interior of the church in 2008. Photo courtesy of SF Gate.
There is little known about John J. Foley. He studied at the Armour Institue in Chicago and worked as a draftsman for Peter J. Weber in Chicago in 1905 before coming to San Francisco. He designed many churches throughout California as well as public buildings and residences. He died April 20, 1946.
2019 Update:
The church was purchased by Ken Full and is not the Saint Joseph’s Art Society. Here are some photos of the newly remodeled interior.
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