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Endangered
Extinct
Preserved
Easements
San
Francisco Heritage participates in the public forum as an advocate
on behalf of the preservation community. When public policy puts
the city's cultural resources at risk, or when demolition or unsympathetic
alterations threaten a significant building, Heritage will state
the case for conservation before the appropriate agency. This may
be the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, the Planning Commission,
the Redevelopment Agency, the Port Commission, the Board of Appeals
or the Board of Supervisors.
Heritage's
efforts have resulted in the retention of historic Western Addition
residences, the Federal Reserve Bank Building, the Jessie Street
Substation, the Jackson Brewery, the Fallon Building, and the Herbst
Theater, amongst other significant structures.
Working
with city agencies and with developers and property owners, Heritage
has helped to achieve the preservation and sensitive adaptive reuse
of such architecturally significant building as the Sheraton - Palace
Hotel, the former Metropolitan Life Building (Ritz-Carlton Hotel)
and the former Southern Pacific Hospital (Mercy Family Terrace).
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Endangered
Structures
Our
list of endangered structures will be posted soon.
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Extinct Structures
Our list of extinct structures will be posted soon.
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Preserved
Structures-Easement Properties
Single-click on
the property to see photograph.
(see photo
credits)
Haas-Lilienthal
House, 1886
2007 Franklin Street
Peter Schmidt, Architect
Nightingale
House, 1882
201
Buchanan Street
Our first easement, donated in 1974.
Gibb-Sanborn
Warehouse, 1855
101
Vallejo
One of a handful of structures surviving from Gold Rush era; converted
to professional offices in 1972.
Vollmer
House, 1885
1735-37 Webster
Architects: S.C. and J.C. Newsom
Moved 12 blocks in 1974 - one of eleven buildings moved to save
them from demolition.
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Preservation
Easements
In 1974, Heritage accepted its first preservation easement: the
"Nightingale
House" at 201 Buchanan Street. Since that time, Heritage
has accepted donations of over 56 permanent preservation easements,
creating one of the largest preservation easement programs in the
West.
What
is a Preservation Easement?
An easement conveys to a second party a partial interest or right
in a property which places restrictions on the owner's use of the
property. A preservation easement, in particular, is a legal instrument
ensuring th e protection of architecturally and historically significant
structures by limiting the future owner's right to demolish the
building or to make destructive alterations. The typical preservation
easement applies to the publicly visible portions of the exterior
of the structure (façades), but may extend to certain interior
elements and even to the open space surrounding the building, if
Heritage and the donor agree. When Heritage accepts a preservation
easement, it receives the legal right to review and approve the
design of proposed changes to the portions of the structure covered
by the easement. All other rights and obligations of ownership,
such as the right to sell or lease the property as well as the responsibility
for maintenance, remain vested in the owner. To bind future owners
of the property, a preservation easement runs with the title to
the property.
What
buildings qualify for a Preservation Easement?
Any structure which contributes to the historical architectural
character of San Francisco can potentially be protected by a preservation
easement. Donors seeking to take advantage of tax benefits for their
gift must ensure that the building is also a "certified historic
structure." A building is certified if it is on the National Register
of Historic Places or determined by the Secretary of the Interior
to be contributing to the historic character of a locally or nationally
designated Historic District. The recipient of the donation must
be a unit of government or a publicly supported charitable organization,
whose purpose is historic preservation and which has a demonstrated
ability to meet ongoing legal responsibilities. Heritage is the
only organization in San Francisco with a program to receive, administer,
and enforce preservation easements.
What
are the advantages of a Preservation Easement?
The principal benefit of the donation of a preservation easement
is the guaranteed permanent protection of historically and architecturally
important buildings. However, in addition to the satisfaction of
contributing to the preservation of the community's architectural
heritage, donors also enjoy substantial Federal and State income
tax benefits for qualifying donations by treating the value of the
easement as a charitable contribution.
For
more information on Preservation Easements
Contact Bill Beutner at San Francisco Architectural Heritage: 415-441-3000
ext. 10.
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