San Francisco Landmarks
1 June 2003
(Click Photo to Zoom)
When we took this photograph in 2003, Saint Joseph's Church, Parish Hall and Rectory were vacant and had been vacant since the three buildings were damaged by the Loma Prieta Earthquake on 17 October 1989.
St. Joseph's Church, Parish Hall and Rectory
1401 Howard Street At 10th Street
Built 1906 and 1913
St. Joseph's Church and Parish were founded in 1861 under the direction of California's first Archbishop, Joseph Alemany. The church founded two parochial schools in 1867, one for boys and one for girls
The present parish hall, built in 1906, once served as both the church and school. The cornerstone of the Romanesque Revival church, designed by architect John Foley, was laid in April 1913.
When the parish was founded, most of the parishioners were Irish. By 1979, most of the parishioners were Filipino. St. Joseph's was the largest Filipino parish in the United States. In April, 1979, the Image of the Santo Niño de Cebu, the patron saint of the Republic of the Philippines, was enthroned in the church.
In 2015, Ken Fulk purchased half interest in the deconsecrated property which was seismically upgraded and renovated. In 2018, Fulk reopened the former church as Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, which the San Francisco Chronicle described as "a glam new arts space."
Saint Joseph's Church is also National Register Listing #82002250.