27 Hotaling
Financial District
Jackson Square
The center building is the Villa Taverna, it sits on Hotaling Place in the Financial District of San Francisco. This is one of many charming San Francisco alleyways.
Hotaling Place is named for businessman Anson Parson Hotaling, best known for his 19th century whiskey trade. Hotaling Place leads from Washington Street to Jackson, the hub of the Jackson Square Historic District.
Hotaling Place originally housed stables, (at 32-34) which accounts for the horse-head hitching posts you’ll see in the area. Hotaling Stables are registered as San Francisco Landmark #11.
Hotaling Place in 1964 – Photo Courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library
Villa Taverna is a private club. It opened in February 1960, was the inspiration of then-Italian Consul General Pierluigi Alvera and founding members such as the late Janet Fleishhacker, who were educated in Europe and members of the city’s leading families. Their idea: a private social club that celebrates Italian culture and cuisine.
The architect was Mario Gaidano.
From Mr. Gaidano’s September 20th 2003 obituary:
Mr. Gaidano died Sept. 13 at his home in San Francisco. He was 89 years old and had continued to work until the day of his death, relatives said.
He designed an array of notable office buildings and restaurants, including the Fairmont Hotel tower, San Francisco National Bank, the House of Prime Rib, Mel’s drive-in, Fior d’Italia and Marin Joe’s.
“He had a style that was ageless,” his son Scott Gaidano said. “He is known for designing restaurants that stay in business. Marin Joe’s is exactly the same today as it was when he designed it in 1953.”
As an architect, Mr. Gaidano was known to be “fanatical” about creating and installing the perfect lighting for the space, his son said. He also was known for creating “big luxurious booths” in restaurants and for his innovative use of elevators. He was among the first architects to create elevators running on the outside of buildings, including the elevator at the Fairmont Hotel.
Born in 1914, Mr. Gaidano attended St. Ignatius High School and went on to graduate from the San Francisco School of Fine Arts and the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in San Francisco. He enlisted in the Army at the start of World War II and was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers.
While enlisted, Mr. Gaidano met his future wife, Fanita Simon, who worked as an ambulance driver for the military.
Mr. Gaidano opened his own firm in 1947 and quickly gained a reputation for designing buildings with strong, classic lines.
He received numerous awards, including the American Institute of Architect’s Honor Award. His design of the Fairmont Hotel tower won him a special citation from the mayor and Board of Supervisors.
***
This marble sculpture is by an unknown Roman artist. The owner of Villa Taverna states the piece is a gift of the Italian government sometime prior to 1958 and that it is an ancient Roman piece.
