St. Brigid Eligible for
National Register of Historic Places
Parishioners won a major victory in their efforts to save St. Brigid
Church at a hearing of the California State Historical Resources
Commission on August 11, 1995.
At the hearing, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Church be included on the National Register of Historic Places. This distinction recognizes the architectural and historical significance of properties of the United States. The highlight of the hearing was the presentation of a video showing the beautiful exterior and interior of St. Brigid Church, particularly, the terra cotta facade of the main entrance, the magnificent stained glass windows, and the stunning statues. The video was the work of Loren Charles, videographer, and was produced by the Committee to Save St. Brigid Church. After seeing the video, no one could deny that the Church was not worthy for the National Registry.
The City's Landmark Board and the Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage also supported the placing of St. Brigid Church on the National Registry. However, the Archdiocese of San Francisco, as owner of the building, opposed the applicaton. As a result, the building will be "formally determined eligible" but not listed. While this national status does not prevent demolition, it will add considerable expense and delay to any such plans.
The application was prepared by architecture historical consultant, Anne Bloomfield.
The decision is particularly significant because the Archdiocese has deliberately placed the building on the City of San Francisco's list of unreinforced masonry buildings1. This unheard-of action puts the building in jeopardy. Normally landlords work to avoid the classification, because the City has stringent requirements for repair of such buildings. While the Archdiocese claims that the cost of bringing St. Brigid into conformance with current San Francisco seismic codes is $5.5 million, independent estimates confirm that the correct figure is approximately one-tenth of that amount.
Committee to Save St. Brigid Church
Newsletter - September 14, 1995 Issue
1Unreinforced Masonry Building: UMB
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