San Francisco Armory

The San Francisco Armory is a historic military installation located at 1800 Mission Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. Constructed between 1912 and 1914, this massive structure was designed by architects Woollett & Woollett and McLeran & Peterson to serve as an armory and arsenal for the United States National Guard. The building is renowned for its distinctive Moorish Revival architectural style, featuring a castle-like appearance with a brick facade and concrete construction. Its imposing design includes turrets and fortified elements that make it a unique landmark within the city's urban landscape.

Historically, the site played a significant role during labor unrest, notably serving as a focal point during the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike known as Bloody Thursday. The National Guard utilized the facility from its completion until 1976. Recognized for its architectural and historical value, the armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated as a San Francisco Landmark in 1980. Following decades of varied use, the property underwent a major refurbishment in 2007, which included extensive window restoration projects to preserve its original character.

In recent years, the building has transitioned from military use to private ownership. After being purchased by Kink.com in 2007 for use as a production studio and headquarters, the property was sold again in 2017 to SF Armory LLC, an affiliate of AJ Capital Partners, for approximately 65 million dollars. Current plans for the site involve repurposing the expansive interior for manufacturing and office space while maintaining the exterior's historic integrity. Today, the San Francisco Armory stands as a preserved monument to early twentieth-century military architecture and the evolving industrial history of the Mission District.