Chambord Apartments
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Commissioned in 1921 by James Witt Dougherty and designed by James Francis Dunn, the five-story Chambord Apartments was one of the first luxury apartments built in Nob Hill. It is often mistakenly said that the designer was Antonio Gaudi. It was one of the earliest luxury apartment buildings erected in the area devastated by the earthquake and fire of April 1906. It is a reflection of the Beaux Arts influence. In 1984, Chambord Apartments became a National Register of Historic Places listing for its architectural significance. The exterior balconies were recreated in 1983 in the original style, which some say resembles a wedding cake. The building now holds condominium apartments known as "The Chambord.".
Images
2008 view of Chambord Apartments (Sanfranman59)
Detail of original architectural plan for front of Chambord Apartments (Dunn circa 1921)
Street facades of Chambord Apartments in 1982 before exterior renovation and restoration (Frej)
Front of Chambord Apartments in 1983, after reproduction of original balconies & bay windows (Anne Frej)
Interior view of typical living room, Chambord Apartments (Frej 1982)
Chambord Apartments (green bracket) on 1950 Sanborn insurance map (V. 1 p. 72)
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Architect James Francis Dunn designed at least two other apartment buildings in the area with a similar style to the Chambord Apartments, with balconies and bay windows that bulge out from the wall: 961 Pine St. (1912) and 1250 Pine (1919). The architect Antonio Gaudi designed a similar building - Casa Mila in Barcelona, Spain - around 1911. Though Dunn designed the building, he never saw the building finished since he died in 1921.The Chambord was named after a royal residence of the Kings of France, the Chateau de Chambord, seized by the French government in 1914; built by King Francis I, nearly two dozen people were still fighting over ownership of the castle in 1928.
Construction drawings showed decorative urns above the front cornice, and a fire escape with ladders between the center balconies; the front cornice was removed later and it is not known if these details were built. Two of the units at the Chambord Apartments were occupied by the Dougherty family; Frank C. Dougherty worked for Hutton, McNear & Dougherty and was the son of Alameda County pioneer James W. Dougherty. Frank's son, James Witt Dougherty, was the developer of the Chambord and a resident. A Mrs. Henry Hess also lived in the building in 1923, as did Richard H. Pease, the president and treasurer of Goodyear Rubber Company, and Robert W. Shingle. The Chambord was sold in 1926 to Herbert E. Law, the owner of the Fairmont Hotel and the Lauriston Investment Company.
The five-story reinforced concrete Chambord Apartments held ten apartments by 1950. In that year, the building was used in the filming of the famous film-noir, D.O.A. The original Beaux Arts style detailing on the balconies and bay windows was removed after the movie was made and replaced with a streamlined look. During the 1970s this historic site was almost destroyed, but because of a large public outcry against the demolition it was made into a San Francisco Historical Landmark. The original finishes were restored using cast stone in the early 1980s by Marquis & Stoller. Fred Stimpson, the grandson of the original owner, commissioned the renovation and restoration. The penthouse level's later partitions into two units were removed, restoring the fifth floor to one apartment; the building then held nine apartments and a lobby.
The apartments featured oval dining rooms, built-in bookshelves, wooden molding, and hidden storage. The kitchen in the basement was once used to provide meals for all those who lived in the building. The basement also includes a laundry room for residents and storage space. The building has become condominium apartments holding eleven units.
Sources
Anonymous. "Disposition of Home of Kings of France Is Up for Decision." Hanford Morning Journal (Hanford, CA) December 23rd, 1920. 5-5.
Anonymous. "Many Claimants for this Famous Castle." Lompoc Review (Lompoc) March 6th, 1928. 3-3.
Cerny, Susan Dinkelspiel. An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Salt Lake City, UT. Gibbs Smith, 2007.
Crocker-Langley. Crocker-Langley San Francisco City Directory. San Francisco, CA. Crocker-Langley, 1923.
Frej, Anne B. NRHP nomination, Chambord Apartments, 1298 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA. National Register of Historic Places. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1984.
Johnston, Jennifer. Chambord Apartments, Nob Hill, Multifamily Executive. March 24th, 2005. Accessed December 5th, 2024. https://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/design-development/chambord-apartments_o.
Rich, Nathaniel. San Francisco Noir: The City in Film Noir from 1940 to the Present. New York, NY. The Little Bookroom, 2005.
San Francisco Landmarks. NoeHill. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf106.asp.
Sanborn Map Co. Insurance Maps for San Francisco, California. Volume I. New York, NY. Sanborn Map Company, 1950.
Wiley, Peter Booth. National Trust Guide: San Francisco. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chambord_Apartments_(San_Francisco).JPG
NPS: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/84001184
NPS: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/84001184
National Park Service (NPS): https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/84001184
NPS: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/84001184
Library of Congress (LOC): https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn00813_030/