Finding Aid to the Joseph B. Pecora Papers.
1943-2013
SFH 644
Finding Aid composed by Norman Yee.
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
2021
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Title: Joseph B. Pecora Papers
Creator:
Pecora, Joseph B., 1937-2020
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 644
Physical Description:
2 cartons
(2 Cubic Feet)
Date (inclusive): 1943-2013
Date (bulk): 1990-2005
Abstract: Joseph B. Pecora, as the de facto historian of the Alamo Square neighborhood, conducted research on historical neighborhood
homes and buildings as part of his involvement in the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association, which he later compiled and published
as a book titled, "The Storied Houses of Alamo Square." This collection contains research papers of Joseph B. Pecora and papers
related to his involvement with the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association. Includes drafts, photographs, newsletters, ephemera,
correspondence, and notes pertaining to research conducted on historic Alamo Square homes and buildings. Of note is a collection
of contemporary photographs of the Alamo Square neighborhood and buildings by Ron Henggeler and a collection of house drawings
by Jack Walsh.
Physical Location: The collection is stored on site.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
Joseph B. Pecora Papers (SFH 644), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
The collection was received in 2 accessions. Drawings of researched homes by Jack Walsh came to the San Francisco Public Library
in 2018. Joseph B. Pecora and related Alamo Square Neighborhood Association drafts, photo materials, and personal papers were
donated in 2021.
Conservation Note
During processing, the entire collection was re-foldered and re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes. Some metal staples
remain.
Biographical / Historical
Born on February 2, 1937, Joseph Benedict Pecora was a graduate of Taft High School in Taft, California, He went on to graduate
from UCLA in 1959 with a degree in International Relations. He then attended the Air Force language school at Syracuse University
and served in Germany as a Czech radio intercept analyst, and later joined the State Department as a U.S. Diplomatic Courier
with postings in Manila and Frankfurt. He purchased a Victorian house near Alamo Square in San Francisco in 1979. Later, the
neighborhood was slated for demolition by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency but was rescued by a grassroots campaign
of residents including Mr. Pecora. This campaign allowed the neighborhood to be reborn as a renowned designated historic district.
Discovering a love for history and Victorian architecture and design, Mr. Pecora launched a newsletter for the newly formed
Alamo Square Neighborhood Association, with each issue containing a researched history of a neighborhood house, including
its architecture and residents. In the process of studying the historic homes, he became the de facto Alamo Square historian,
and eventually compiled these histories into his book, The Storied Houses of Alamo Square. Mr. Pecora was also an active member
of other local and national organizations, including the Victorian Alliance, the Decorative Arts Forum, and the National Trust
for Historic Preservation. He died on November 30, 2020.
Scope and Contents
Contains research papers of Joseph B. Pecora and papers related to his involvement with the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association.
Includes drafts, photographs, newsletters, ephemera, correspondence, and notes pertaining to research conducted on historic
Alamo Square homes and buildings. Of note is a collection of contemporary photographs of the Alamo Square neighborhood and
buildings by Ron Henggeler, partially sorted by home address. There is also a sample of house drawings by Jack Walsh commissioned
by Pecora to compliment his articles.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in 2 series. Series 1: Drafts and research material by home address; Series 2: Documents, correspondence,
and papers arranged by type.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architecture, Victorian -- California -- San Francisco -- History
Neighborhoods -- California -- San Francisco -- History
Alamo Square (San Francisco, Calif.) -- History
Citizens' Associations -- California -- San Francisco.
Pecora, Joseph B., 1937-2020
Series 1
Storied Houses of Alamo Square
inclusive 1908-2013
bulk 1992-2004
carton 1, folder 1
890 Hayes, The Old Holy Family Convent
circa 1991
carton 1, folder 2
982 Hayes, The Joice House
1999
carton 1, folder 3
1019-21 Hayes, The Nightingale - Clarke and Jeffery Houses
2011, 2013
carton 1, folder 4
1021 Hayes, The Mohrdick House
circa 1994
carton 1, folder 5
1027 Hayes, The Wilton House
circa 1999
carton 1, folder 6
1033-1035 Hayes, The Pfeiffer - Staples House
circa 2000
carton 1, folder 7
1045 Hayes, The Swayne - Romander House
1997
carton 1, folder 8
1249 & 1257 Hayes, The Elise Luecke Flats
1997
carton 1, folder 9
816 Grove, The Currier - Barone House
circa 1990
carton 1, folder 10
817 Grove, The Frederick W. Jones House
1993, 1995
carton 1, folder 11
824 Grove, The Brune - Reutlinger House
circa 1993
carton 1, folder 12
825 Grove, The Hinkel House
circa 1997
carton 1, folder 13
834 Grove, The Fay House
circa 1995
carton 1, folder 14
882 Grove, The Aigeltinger House
circa 1992
carton 1, folder 15
957 Grove, The William Schulz House
circa 1908
carton 1, folder 16
864 Fulton, The Old Catherdral of the Holy Virgin
1999
carton 1, folder 17
915 Fulton, The Moise - Dixon House
circa 2003
carton 1, folder 18
917-919 Fulton, The Furlong Flats
1996
carton 1, folder 19
925 Fulton, The John J. Dowling House
circa 2004
carton 1, folder 20
1060 Fulton, The Goetjen House
1996
carton 1, folder 21
1062 Fulton, The Charles Miner Goodall House
circa 1991
carton 1, folder 22
1080 & 1086 Fulton, The Carolyn Goodall Flats
circa 1998
carton 1, folder 23
1114 - 16 Fulton, The Oscar V. Walker House
circa 1997
carton 1, folder 24
1124 Fulton, The Charles E. Hansen House (Serenity House)
circa 1995
carton 1, folder 25
1160 Fulton, The George Schafer House
2005
carton 1, folder 26
1180 Fulton, The Keyser House
circa 1990
carton 1, folder 27
1198 Fulton, The Westerfeld House
circa 1992
carton 1, folder 28
1201 Fulton, The Lucy House
1992
carton 1, folder 29
1255-57 Fulton, The Arthur C. Campbell House and Cottage
1996
carton 1, folder 30
1322, 1328, 1334 & 1340 McAllister, Four Edwardian Grande Dames
2003
carton 1, folder 31
1347 McAllister, The Bliss Flats
1995
carton 1, folder 32
1360 & 1368 McAllister, The Schultze - Hesthal Compound
circa 2005
carton 1, folder 33
1376-1392 McAllister, The Goodman, Stein & Sheahan Flats
1998
carton 1, folder 34
1447-49 & 1451-53 McAllister, The Caritey Flats
circa 1996
carton 1, folder 35
1527 McAllister, The Laist House
circa 1997
carton 1, folder 36
1536 McAllister, The Timothy O'Brien House
circa 1999
carton 1, folder 37
1539 McAllister, The Braendlein House
circa 1993
carton 1, folder 38
1503 Golden Gate, The Dwyer House
1993
carton 1, folder 39
1653-55 Golden Gate, The Thom-Wohrden Besby Duplex
circa 2004
carton 1, folder 40
1710 Golden Gate, The Giselman-Lange House
1955, 1998
carton 1, folder 41
399 Webster, The Bernard Katschinski House
circa 1996
carton 1, folder 42
517-519 Webster, The Edgar Bishop Duplex
1997, 2001
carton 1, folder 43
717-23 Webster, The McCoy Flats
circa 1996
carton 1, folder 44
546 Fillmore, Sacred Heart Church
1904, 1916, 1991, 2002
carton 1, folder 45
644-648 Fillmore, The Captain William Olsen Flats
circa 1995
carton 1, folder 46
827-29 Fillmore, The Mary Rainey Flats
1996
carton 1, folder 47
837 & 847 Fillmore, The Jungblut and Faktor Houses
2000
carton 1, folder 48
601 Steiner, The Henry Ohlhoff House
circa 1993
carton 1, folder 49
625 Steiner, The John O. Doane House
2009
carton 1, folder 50
637-39 Steiner, The Marx Houses
1992
carton 1, folder 51
640-42 Steiner, The Cornahrens Flats
1996
carton 1, folder 52
712 Steiner, The Frank LaFayette Platt House
2005
carton 1, folder 53
818 Steiner, The Hartter House
circa 1998
carton 1, folder 54
896-898 Steiner, The Mertens Flats
circa 1997
carton 1, folder 55
902 Steiner, The Hinkel - Costello House
circa 2013
carton 1, folder 56
910-912 Steiner, The McNee & Sayers Houses
circa 2000
carton 1, folder 57
943-945 Steiner, The Sophie Eggers Flats
circa 1999
carton 1, folder 58
1025 Steiner, Bigelow's Bungalow
2003
carton 1, folder 59
1043 Steiner, The Kirkpatrick House
circa 1997
carton 1, folder 60
809-11 Pierce, The William McCormick Flats
1995
carton 1, folder 61
924-930 Pierce, The Soher Flats & Cottage
circa 1993
carton 1, folder 62
950 Pierce, The Hulme House
1999
carton 1, folder 63
513 Scott, The Patrick Fitzsimon House
1994
carton 1, folder 64
701 Scott, The Little House
1994
carton 1, folder 65
705 Scott, The Holm House
1997
carton 1, folder 66
709 Scott, The Thierbach House
1998
carton 1, folder 67
711 Scott, The William P. Filmer House
circa 2005
carton 1, folder 68
715-717 Scott, The Halsted House
circa 1990
carton 2, folder 69
280 Divisadero, The Charles L. Hinkel House
circa 1999
carton 2, folder 70
500-502 Divisadero
circa 1996
carton 2, folder 71
Fulton & Divisadero, The Sans Souci Roadhouse
2010
carton 2, folder 72
924-34 Divisadero, The Tobias Hock Flats
circa 2002
carton 2, folder 73
1045 Divisadero, The Merton Sykes Price House
circa 2005
carton 2, folder 74
700 Hayes, The Asa & Lydia Fisk House
2004
carton 2, folder 75
745 Buchanan, The Alper Memorial Building
1991
carton 2, folder 76
700 Block of Grove Street, The Rescued Victorians
1991
carton 2, folder 77
762 Fulton, The Old Acme Brewry Headquarters
circa 2002
carton 2, folder 78
860 Fell, The Cahn House
circa 1994
carton 2, folder 79
898 Fell, The Newman Flats
1998
carton 2, folder 80
1550 Fell, The Zellerbach Mansion
circa 1996
carton 2, folder 81
1111 Oak, The Abner Phelps House
1995
carton 2, folder 82
1152 Oak, The Old Firehouse of Engine Company No.21
1994
carton 2, folder 83
1336-46 Grove, The John Peters Stables
1994
carton 2, folder 84
642 Broderick, The John Hendy House
1993
carton 2, folder 85
555 Baker, Native Daughters of the Golden West Home
circa 1993
carton 2, folder 86
628 Baker, The Boyd-Capp House
circa 2009
carton 2, folder 87
5 Seymour, The Price House
2003
carton 2, folder 88
1822 Eddy, Old Saint Patrick's and Holy Cross Churches
circa 2005
carton 2, folder 89
832 Fell, The Captain Andrew C. Freese House
2013
carton 2, folder 90
1366 Hayes, The Middlehoff House
1995
carton 2, folder 91
940 Oak, The Merguire House
circa 1999
carton 2, folder 92
315 Scott, The Henry Stearns House
circa 2001
carton 2, folder 93
330 Scott, The Luchsinger House
circa 2000
carton 2, folder 94
850 Steiner, The William B. Meckfessel House
1993
carton 2, folder 95
3800 Washington, The Koshland Mansion (The Petit Trianon)
circa 1990
Series 2
ASNA Materials and Personal Papers
inclusive 1943-2007
bulk 1991-2005
carton 2, folder 1
Jack Walsh Drawings, Hayes Street
1988-2004
carton 2, folder 2
Jack Walsh Drawings, Grove Street
1989-2004
carton 2, folder 3
Jack Walsh Drawings, Fulton Street
1988-2005
carton 2, folder 4
Jack Walsh Drawings, McAllister Street
1993-2005
carton 2, folder 5
Jack Walsh Drawings, Golden Gate Avenue
1993-1998
carton 2, folder 6
Jack Walsh Drawings, Webster and Fillmore Streets
1995-2007
carton 2, folder 7
Jack Walsh Drawings, Steiner Street
1988-2005
carton 2, folder 8
Jack Walsh Drawings, Pierce and Scott Streets
1993-2005
carton 2, folder 9
Jack Walsh Drawings, Broderick, Buchanan, Divisadero and Seymour Streets
1992-2005
carton 2, folder 10
Jack Walsh Drawings, Fell and Oak Streets
1993-1998
carton 2, folder 11
Unidentified Photographs
undated
carton 2, folder 13
Joe Pecora, 19th century Christmas Ornaments
circa 1990-2000
carton 2, folder 14
Joe Pecora, Personal Correspondence
1943-2007
carton 2, folder 15
Alamo Square Historic District Documents
circa 1984, 1994
carton 2, folder 16
Alamo Square Neighborhood Associate Correspondence
1982-1999
carton 2, folder 17
ALamo Square Neighborhood Association Ephemera
circa 1991-2001
carton 2, folder 18
ASNA Meeting Minutes, Rules, and Documents
circa 1991
carton 2, folder 19
ASNA Gourmet Club Dinner
1990-1991
carton 2, folder 20
ASNA Planning Department Campaigns
1997-1998
carton 2, folder 21
Alamo Square House Tour Documents
1978-2001
carton 2, folder 23
Thesis by Carol Guilbault, Inner City Residence
1977
