Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co.
About this property
The Pioneer Building, also known as the Pioneer Trunk Factory - C. A. Malm & Co. building is a historic building in San Francisco, California. The building is located at 2185-2199 Folsom and 3180 18th Streets. It was designed by San Francisco architect Thomas J. Welsh and built in 1902. It was originally two buildings that stood next to each other along 18th street. They were joined into one during rehabilitation in 1985-1986. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, as "Pioneer Trunk Factory--C. A. Malm & Co." The former factory is located just outside the area destroyed by the 1906 fire, and is one of the few remaining examples of the kind of large wooden structure that was once characteristic of industrial buildings in the Mission district. Its use of Italiente style wooden details resembles many Victorians built in San Francisco at the time. However, the style is unusual for factory buildings, and was perhaps chosen to better fit with the residential buildings that surround it. The factory originally manufactured trunks for automobiles, which were sold in two stores in downtown San Francisco (before trunks became a standard part of the car.) In addition to the eponymous factory, the building originally also hosted a corner storefront. After the factory went out of business in the 1930s, the building was used as a warehouse and a machine shop. In the 21st century, the building once housed the office of Stripe. In 2020, it housed the offices of OpenAI and Neuralink. OpenAI vacated the building in August 2024, and rival xAI moved in in October 2024. In 2024, Elon Musk claimed to own the building.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co. listed on the National Register?
Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co. was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1987.
What type of historic resource is Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co.?
Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co. is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co.?
The period of significance for Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co. is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Pioneer Trunk Factory-C. A. Malm & Co.?
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