Re: The Old Mint and need for a San Francisco history museum

04/14/14 - posted by Frank Dunnigan

It's hard to believe that this hasn't been completed by now--saving the Old Mint seems to be one of SF's longest running projects. I clearly remember that there was an exterior building restoration program underway there when I was a student at USF more than 40 years ago! Specifically, I can remember standing in front of the Chronicle building and looking up to the roofline of the Mint in the summer of 1971 or 1972, to see construction workers chipping away at the stone facing. A Chron article later reported that the repairs were being made with a synthetic (aka: plastic) material that would match the original texture and color of the walls. Preservationists would probably be aghast at this today, and someone is likely in for a big surprise if/when a major restoration program begins.