Fire!
On September 7th,
1907 the Cliff House caught fire while being remodeled and burned completely to
the foundation...
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![](1024x1024-1.jpg)
![](6192444449_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](6153431311_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP WNP136.11)
![postcard, postmarked Oct 2, 1907](2196796920_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP WNP136.12)
Reverse: "The powers that be seem
determined to clean out the old town and give us a greater and better one."
![](Robert%20McMahan%20-%20LC1161-600.jpg)
W.E. Worden
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%208%201907%20-%20crop.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 8 1907 (pdf)
(full page below on page)
![](fire_small.jpg)
![](200040029879a_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](2173268018_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](Dennis/CH%20Burn%20Sept.%2018th_edited-1%20copy_small.jpg)
An alternate crop from the same negative, courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
(reverse)
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(WNPCHP)
![](CH%20Fire-10AAA_small.jpg)
An alternate crop from the same negative, courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
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![](AAB-9946.jpg)
San Francisco
Public Library Collection
![](AAB-9941.jpg)
San Francisco
Public Library Collection
Aftermath...
![](fire.jpg)
(The below is a
close-up of the above image - hover mouse to see dimensions of building)
![](fire%20closeup.jpg)
![](AAB-9949.jpg)
San Francisco
Public Library Collection
![](131719059221_small.jpg)
Scanned from 4.5" x 6" copy film negative, purchased from Marilyn Blaisdell
collection
"Photographer: T.E. Hecht (1875-1937)
Provenance: Image derives from the Wyland Stanley Collection of historical
memorabilia which included thousands of photographs and antique negatives.
The entire collection was purchased by Marilyn Blaisdell in the late 1970s."
![](1907%20SAN%20FRANCISCO%20BURNING%20of%20VICTORIAN%20CLIFF%20HOUSE%20-%20ANTIQUE%20GLASS%20PLATE%20NEGATIVE_small.jpg)
![](6284272042-2_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](6284272042-1_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](CH%20S-R-9-7-1907AA_small.jpg)
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
![](363743267141_25_small.jpg)
"RUINS OF THE CLIFF HOUSE - BURNED SEP.7,1907"
"TURRILL & MILLER, PHOTO, S.F."
Marilyn Blaisdell collection, copy negative
![](ruins_small.jpg)
Courtesy of Mary Hountalas
![](../../photos/Jim%20Dickson/ruins_small.jpg)
Zoom in on this for great detail of the rubble
Courtesy of the Jim Dickson
Collection
![](2nd%20Cliff%20House%20after%20fire,%201907_small.jpg)
Image courtesy of John Martini
The metal beams in the foreground are the support
structure that covered the driveway under building, supporting the
floors above.
![](Foreground%20Support%20Structure_small.jpg)
Rendering by John Hall, 4/21/2020
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![](../../photos/Jim%20Dickson/ruins%202_small.jpg)
Courtesy of the Jim Dickson
Collection
![](../../albums/6146086788/6146086788_small.jpg)
![](153535517176%20B_small.jpg)
(WNPCHP)
![](CH%20AF-1907A%20%20copy_small.jpg)
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
![](CH%20after%20Fire-4_edited-1_small.jpg)
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
![](../../photos/frank/CliffnoHouse_small.jpg)
view from one year later
![](../../photos/frank/No%20Cliff%20House%20reverse_small.jpg)
reverse
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All that remains...
![](remains/CH%20burnt%20support1_small.JPG)
The above charred stump is all that remains of the 1896 Cliff House.
Taken 10-19-06 by John Martini
![](remains/CH-aerial-2002_small.jpg)
The red arrow indicates the location of the stump.
![](remains/Stump-location-1899_small.jpg)
The red dot indicates the approximate location of the support.
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- Newspaper Clippings -
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Sep%208%201907%20p1_small.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Sep 8 1907 p1
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%2008%20Sep%201907%20p30_small.jpg)
San Francisco Examiner - 8 Sept 1907 p30
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![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20(p22)%20-%208%20September%201907.jpg)
The San Francisco Call -
Sept 8, 1907
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![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%208%201907_small.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 8 1907 (pdf)
![](SF%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%208%20%201907%20headline.jpg) |
![](SF%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%208%20%201907%20A.jpg) |
|
![](SF%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%208%20%201907%20B.jpg) |
San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 8 1907 |
![](Oakland%20Tribune%20-%20Sep%208%201907%20p1.jpg)
Oakland Tribune - Sept 8, 1907
p1
(pdf:
page 1,
page 18)
![](The%20Oregon%20Daily%20Journal%20-%20Sep%208,%201907.jpg)
The Oregon Daily Journal - Sep 8, 1907
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Sep%209%201907_small.jpg)
San Francisco Call - Sept 9,
1907 (pdf)
![](Los%20Angeles%20Herald%20-%209%20Sept%201907.jpg)
Los Angeles Herald - 9 Sept 1907
![](SF%20Examiner%20-%20Sept%209%201907_small.jpg)
San Francisco Examiner - Sept 9 1907
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Sep%209%201907.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 9 1907
![](Oakland%20Tribune%20-%20Sep%209%201907.jpg)
Oakland Tribune - Sep 9 1907
![](Santa%20Cruz%20Sentinel%20-%20Sep%2010,%201907.jpg)
Santa Cruz Sentinel - Sep 10, 1907
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Sep%2011%201907.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Sep 11 1907
Union reimburses carpenters
![](The%20Sacramento%20Star%20-%20Sep%2013%201907.jpg)
The Sacramento Star - Sep 13 1907
![](Union%20League%20design.jpg)
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL - SEPTEMBER 14, 1907
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Sep%2014%201907%20p1.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Sep 14 1907 p1
Engineer H. J. Temple added to "Book of Meritorius
Conduct"
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![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%2014%20Sept%201907.jpg)
San Francisco Call - 14 Sept 1907 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Sep%2014%201907%20p9.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Sep 14 1907 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Sep%2016%201907.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Sep 16 1907
![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%2018%20October%201907.jpg)
San Francisco Call - 18 October 1907
![](../proprietors/divider.gif)
Interesting story from two years earlier...
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%2006%20May%201905.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - 06 May 1905
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