Architect Henry Schulze designed the Folger Coffee Company building in the Renaissance Revival architectural style. The exterior of the steel frame building is faced with red brick laid in Flemish bond.

When San Francisco was a major importer and processor of coffee beans, the Folger Coffee Company was the oldest family-owned coffee importer in the City. This building served Folger as office space, processing plant, and warehouse. During the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition, Folger introduced San Francisco to Central American coffee beans. Later, the company opened offices in Mexico and El Salvador, helping establish the enduring strong ties between San Francisco and Latin America.

Although the building is on landfill, it suffered only minor damage from the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 and the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. The steel frame is supported by forty-foot wooden pilings driven into the mud. The pilings are always below water level which prevents rotting.