Matson Building

Matson Building and Annex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	215 Market St., San Francisco, California
Coordinates	37°47′34″N 122°23′48″W / 37.79278°N 122.39667°WCoordinates: 37°47′34″N 122°23′48″W / 37.79278°N 122.39667°W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1945
Architect	Bliss & Faville
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival
NRHP Reference #	95001384[1]
Added to NRHP	November 29, 1995

The Matson Building is a historic office building located at 215 Market Street in San Francisco, California. The building was constructed in 1922-24 to serve as the headquarters of the Matson Navigation Company, then the largest shipping and transportation company between the West Coast and Hawaii. In addition, the building held mainland offices for three of Hawaii's Big Five corporations and multiple smaller Hawaiian firms, making it a prominent fixture in San Francisco – Hawaii commerce. Architects Bliss & Faville designed the Renaissance Revival building. The sixteen-story building is divided into three sections; the lower and upper sections feature extensive ornamentation, giving the building a column-like appearance. The outside of the building is clad in terra cotta, which is also used for the building's decorative elements. The building's design complements the neighboring Pacific Gas and Electric Company General Office Building, which was built around the same time. In 1945-47, a matching annex was placed on the building to provide more space for Matson's offices.^[2]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1995.^[1]

References

1. Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Turnbull, John Gordon (September 22, 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Matson Building and Annex" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 28, 2014. Accompanied by photos.