Guide to the James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood Residence Blueprints collection

Finding aid prepared by Ashley Toutain
University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections
Copley Library
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Telephone: 619-260-2730
Email: spcoll@sandiego.edu
© 2019


Overview of the Collection

Title: James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood Residence Blueprints collection
Date: 1912-1914
Collection number: USDSC_2019_002
Creator: Bliss & Faville
Extent: 4 oversize boxes, (8 linear feet)
Repository: University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections
Copley Library
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110
spcoll@sandiego.edu
Abstract: This collection contains architectural drawings for the James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood Residence, also known as the Flood Mansion.
Languages: English

Historical Note

The James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood residence was designed and constructed between 1912 and 1915 at 2222 Broadway in San Francisco, California. James hired architects Bliss & Faville who had designed San Francisco's Westin St. Francis Hotel, Garry Theater, and Bank of California, among many others. Bliss & Faville were known for grandeur and attention to detail. The Flood Mansion was designed in the classical styles of the Italian Renaissance with influences of Rococo, Tudor, Georgian, and Mediterranean Revival styles.
James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood had three children, James L. Flood, Jr. (who died at the age of 4 in 1907), James, and Mary Emma (Stebbins). James Leary died in 1926. The rest of the family remained in the house until 1938 after both James and Mary Emma had married. At that time, Maud gave the house to Mother Rosalie Hill and the Religious of the Sacred Heart. According to Sister Genevieve Clarke, Maud said she "dreamed that one day in her beautiful mansion there would be sweet and gentle nuns teaching in its halls and walking in its gardens" (Clarke, Reverend Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, 91). According to Mary Mardel, Maud wanted her home to become a place for education, and that Maud was thankful to the Sacred Heart nuns for their support during James Jr.'s illness and passing ( [History of Flood Mansion: Interview with Mary Mardel, R.S.C.J] video). After Mother Hill received the house in 1938, she began designs for its restoration into a Sacred Heart school. Classes for the school began in the spring of 1940.
Mother Rosalie Hill was integral to the design of the San Diego College for Women and the University of San Diego. She wanted the design to be an adaptation of the Spanish Renaissance architectural style. While living at the Convent of St. Madeleine Sophie, located at 2610 San Diego Avenue in Old Town San Diego, until the College for Women was built, Mother Hill and Mother Suzanne de Leon drafted plans that would help guide Architect Frank Hope, Jr.'s designs for the University. It is likely that Mother Hill and Mother de Leon requested these blueprints to help advise their designs.

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of architectural blueprints from the James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood residence. These drawings are primarily of the architectural details on the house including the entrance doors, walls, transoms, and cornices. All blueprints were completed by architects Bliss & Faville.

Arrangement

Blueprints are arranged chronologically.

Access

This collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Folder Title], Box # Folder #, James Leary Flood and Maud Lee Flood Residence Blueprints collection, Copley Library, University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections.

Custodial History

The Flood Mansion blueprints were found in the University of San Diego Founders Hall vault. Blueprints were mailed from the Convent of the Sacred Heart at 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA to Mother S. de Leon Convent of St. Madeleine Sophie 2610 San Diego Avenue San Diego CA., postmarked April 4 1949.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Ashley Toutain in October 2019.

Bibliography

Manuscripts
Boudoin, Burt J. Fortress on the Hill - Founding the University of San Diego and the San Diego College for Women 1942-1963. Mission Hills, CA: Saint Francis Historical Society, 2001.
Clarke, Genevieve. Reverend Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, Religious of the Sacred Heart. Unpublished manuscript, 1967.
McHugh, Helen. Founder's Tale: Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill and the Founding of the University of San Diego. University of San Diego, 2005.
Rossi, Aimmee. History of the San Diego College for Women. Unpublished manuscript, 1973.

Bibliography

Websites
Convent & Stuart Hall, Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco. "About." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://www.sacredsf.org/about/campus-map .
Convent & Stuart Hall, Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco. "Mary Mardel, RSCJ." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://www.sacredsf.org/about/mary-mardel 
Find A Grave. "James Leary "Jimmie" Flood." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76457316 
Find A Grave. "Maud Lee Fritz Flood." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87853475 
Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD). "Flood, James Leary and Maud Lee, House #1, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA (1912-1915)." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227071827/http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/17270/ .
Schools of the Sacred Heart. "History of the Flood Mansion." Accessed October 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170930085111/http://www.floodmansion.org/History.html .

Bibliography

Video
[History of the Flood Mansion: Interview with Mary Mardel, R.S.C.J.]" Thomas Hughes Video Productions, circa 2000. 28:41.

Index Terms

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Flood, James Leary, 1857-1926
Flood, Maud Lee, 1876-1966
Bliss, Walter Danforth, 1874-1956
Faville, William Baker, 1866-1947

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Society of the Sacred Heart.
Bliss & Faville

Subjects and Indexing Terms

San Francisco (Calif.)


Box/Folder: 1 / Flood-001

Front Elevation and Entrance - Three quarter inch details. Sheet no. 100. 1912 June 26

Physical Description: 55.5 x 42.25 in.
Box/Folder: 1 / Flood-002

West Wall of Court - Three quarter inch details. Sheet no. 107. 1912 September 06

Physical Description: 56 x 42 in.
Box/Folder: 1 / Flood-003

Bronze Entrance in Court - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1078 1913 February 11

Physical Description: 42.25 x 45 in.
Box/Folder: 1 / Flood-004

Metal Doors on Main Entrance - 3 in. scale detail. T. 131 1913 March 25

Physical Description: 55.25 x 22.25 in.
Box/Folder: 2 / Flood-005

Bronze Doors on Main Entrance - 3 in. scale detail 1913 March 25

Physical Description: 56 x 22.5 in.
Box/Folder: 2 / Flood-006

Inner Entrance Door (Iron) - F.S. Detail [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1082 1913 June 06

Physical Description: 42 x 51 in.
Box/Folder: 2 / Flood-007

Transom Over Inner Vestibule Door - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1085 1913 June 10

Physical Description: 42 x 45 in.
Box/Folder: 2 / Flood-008

Wrought Metal Doors in Entrance - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1092 1913 August 04

Physical Description: 65 x 42 in.
Box/Folder: 3 / Flood-009

West Wall of Play Room - F.S. Detail [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1106. 1913 August 12

Physical Description: 34.75 x 42 in.
Box/Folder: 3 / Flood-010

Plaster Cornice in Play-Room - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1097. 1913 August 20

Physical Description: 57.25 x 37.5 in.
Box/Folder: 3 / Flood-011

Caps in Hall in Basement - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1108. 1913 September 24

Physical Description: 44.75 x 42 in.

Scope and Content Note

Blueprint includes drawings for Elevation of Base of Columns; Quarter Plan of Base of Column; Elevation of Plaster Base; Half Elevation of Plaster Cap; Half Elevation of Cap on Columns; Section on Center Line; Half Plan of Plaster Capitals; Quarter Plan of Column Capitals.
Box/Folder: 3 / Flood-012

Plaster Cornice in Hall in Basement (Upper). Sheet no. 1110. 1913 September 25

Physical Description: 42.25 x 42 in.
Box/Folder: 4 / Flood-013

Plaster Cornice in Reception Room - F.S.D. [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1100. 1913 September 26

Physical Description: 42 x 38 in.
Box/Folder: 4 / Flood-014

Mantel in Playroom - F.S. Detail [Full Size Detail]. Sheet no. 1111. 1913 October 13

Physical Description: 42 x 41.5 in.
Box/Folder: 4 / Flood-015

Elevator Car - F.S. and 3 quarter scale details. 1914 July 31

Physical Description: 32 x 75 in.
Box/Folder: 4 / Flood-016

[Architectural drawings of landscape of front of residence including location of lawn, marble walls, and driveways. Additionally drawings of the front of the residence with marble walls and gates.] circa 1913

Physical Description: 46.5 x 35.5 in.