San Francisco Armory
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Armory, also known as the San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal or simply The Armory, is a historic building in the Mission District
of San Francisco, California
.
and arsenal
for the United States National Guard
in 1912–1914 and designed with a castle
-like appearance in a Moorish Revival
style. The structure was built as a replacement for the old San Francisco Armory in the Western Addition
, which had been destroyed by the 1906 earthquake
. In addition to its role as an armory and arsenal, during the 1920s, it served as a venue for sporting events, such as prizefights. The Armory served as a stronghold and rallying point for the National Guard in their suppression of the 1934 San Francisco General Strike (an event known as "Bloody Thursday"). The building closed as an armory in 1976, when the National Guard moved its facilities to Fort Funston
.
One very notable fight included a light heavyweight title fight between Young Jim Corbett III
and Jackie Fields
. Other notable fights that took place in the Armory included matches between Mike Teague and Jack Thompson
(both were welterweight champions); and Young Jim Corbett (the son of "Gentleman Jim" Corbett) and Pete Myers in 1929 .
. Several spaceship-interior scenes in the movie Star Wars
were filmed there, and the San Francisco Opera
used the large inner court of The Armory for set construction
and rehearsals until the mid-1990s. By this time, The Armory was in a heavy state of disrepair. Various uses of the building were proposed from 1996–2006, including self storage
units, a rehabilitation clinic, a gym
with a rock wall, a dot-com
office park, a telecommunications switching center, luxury housing, and low-income housing. Many of these proposals were marked by acrimonious debates between various community interests. Concerns over gentrification
, social and environmental impact or the unsuitability of the structure for various uses resulted in none of the various plans for the structure reaching fruition. The building eventually came to be described, variously, as "a herd of white elephant
s", "cursed", and "not a friendly building". The stairs in the main entrance of the armory also became a well-known skateboarding location referred to as "3-Up 3-Down".
In late 2006, The Armory was purchased for $
14.5 million by Kink.com
, a San Francisco-based internet pornography
producer specializing in BDSM
pornography. As of 2007, the company is using the building as a studio for production of content for their websites. Peter Acworth
, the company's owner, has stated that the structure suits the needs of the company very well without need for significant structural modifications to the building, and that the company would begin repairs to the decaying structure. It was also announced that Kink.com planned at some point in the future to rent out studio space for film
production of all kinds within The Armory.
The sale was not announced until January 2007 as a result of a non-disclosure agreement
with the previous owner. The sale drew a mixed response from the San Francisco community. Many people welcomed this use of The Armory as a way of revitalizing the structure and bringing back business to the area without altering the appearance of the historic building, as well as being in keeping with San Francisco's tradition of accommodating sexual minorities. Others were disturbed that a pornography studio would be located in the middle of a residential neighborhood near schools, or were opposed to the abandonment of plans for low-income housing at the site, as well as the lack of community input into this use of The Armory.
A group known as the Mission Armory Community Collective soon formed in opposition to Kink.com's use of The Armory; the group held a public protest in front of The Armory in early February 2007. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom
also expressed concern over the Kink.com purchase, and scheduled a special meeting of the San Francisco Planning Commission in March 2007 to review the company's use of the building. This public meeting was well-attended by both supporters and detractors of the Kink.com purchase. The Planning Commission for its part ruled that Kink.com was not in violation of any law or zoning
requirement.
Although Kink.com has stated that its activities would be invisible to the surrounding neighborhood, La Casa de las Madres, a neighboring women's shelter
, announced in late March 2007 that they would be leaving the location. The shelter had planned on moving from that location in 2009 when their lease expired, but stated that they would be leaving early because of Kink.com's presence.
In late 2007, Acworth approached the San Francisco Planning Commission with the idea of converting part of the Armory space into webcam
-lined condominiums. However, Acworth also described the plans as "extremely hypothetical" and stated that, "There is no firm plan for using the Armory for anything but a conventional film studio for now."
In May and December, 2008, the San Francisco Armory hosted Mission Bazaar, an all-ages arts fair featuring local artists and craftspeople selling their work, as well as performances. It was the first public event held in the Armory since the 1970s.
A creek runs through the basement of the Armory. Mission Creek
once flowed through San Francisco, but like many other creeks in the city, it was diverted into the sewer system in the 1800s. The Armory's basement is the only place where Mission Creek can still be seen.
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
National Guard Armory
The building was constructed as an armoryArmory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
and arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
for the United States National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
in 1912–1914 and designed with a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
-like appearance in a Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
style. The structure was built as a replacement for the old San Francisco Armory in the Western Addition
Western Addition, San Francisco, California
The Western Addition is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States.-Location:The Western Addition is sandwiched between Van Ness Avenue, Golden Gate Park, the Upper and Lower Haight neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights....
, which had been destroyed by the 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. In addition to its role as an armory and arsenal, during the 1920s, it served as a venue for sporting events, such as prizefights. The Armory served as a stronghold and rallying point for the National Guard in their suppression of the 1934 San Francisco General Strike (an event known as "Bloody Thursday"). The building closed as an armory in 1976, when the National Guard moved its facilities to Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Fort Funston is a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the southwestern corner of San Francisco. It occupies windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, steep cliffs and the beach below...
.
Sports Venue
From the 1920's through the 1940's, the Mission Armory served as San Francisco's primary sports venue, eventually earning the nickname "the Madison Square Garden of the West." For almost three decades, at least two prizefights were held in the Drill Court each week.One very notable fight included a light heavyweight title fight between Young Jim Corbett III
Young Corbett III
Young Corbett III was the world Welterweight boxing champion. He was born Raffaele Capabianca Giordano and began boxing in 1919 as Young Corbett III while still a 14-year-old "newsboy."...
and Jackie Fields
Jackie Fields
Jackie Fields was an American professional boxer who won two world championship titles.-Personal life:...
. Other notable fights that took place in the Armory included matches between Mike Teague and Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (boxer)
Cecil Lewis "Jack" Thompson was an American boxer who twice held the welterweight championship of the world. Born Cecil Thompson, his name was changed when he decided to become a professional fighter...
(both were welterweight champions); and Young Jim Corbett (the son of "Gentleman Jim" Corbett) and Pete Myers in 1929 .
1976–2006
After 1976, the building was largely unused for the next 30 years, though in 1978 the building was registered as a Class 2 historical landmark in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Several spaceship-interior scenes in the movie Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
were filmed there, and the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
used the large inner court of The Armory for set construction
Set construction
Set construction is the process by which a set designer works in collaboration with the director of a production to create the set for a theatrical, film or television production...
and rehearsals until the mid-1990s. By this time, The Armory was in a heavy state of disrepair. Various uses of the building were proposed from 1996–2006, including self storage
Self storage
Self storage is an industry in which storage space is rented to tenants, usually on a monthly basis. A self storage business provides rooms, lockers, containers, and/or outdoor space in which tenants can store and access their goods. Self storage tenants include businesses and individuals...
units, a rehabilitation clinic, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
with a rock wall, a dot-com
Dot-com company
A dot-com company, or simply a dot-com , is a company that does most of its business on the Internet, usually through a website that uses the popular top-level domain, ".com" .While the term can refer to present-day companies, it is also used specifically to refer to companies with...
office park, a telecommunications switching center, luxury housing, and low-income housing. Many of these proposals were marked by acrimonious debates between various community interests. Concerns over gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, social and environmental impact or the unsuitability of the structure for various uses resulted in none of the various plans for the structure reaching fruition. The building eventually came to be described, variously, as "a herd of white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
s", "cursed", and "not a friendly building". The stairs in the main entrance of the armory also became a well-known skateboarding location referred to as "3-Up 3-Down".
Kink.com purchase
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
14.5 million by Kink.com
Kink.com
Kink.com is a San Francisco-based internet pornography company that runs a group of websites devoted to catfighting, BDSM and related fetishes.-Hogtied:...
, a San Francisco-based internet pornography
Internet pornography
Internet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
producer specializing in BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
pornography. As of 2007, the company is using the building as a studio for production of content for their websites. Peter Acworth
Peter Acworth
Peter Acworth is a web entrepreneur based in San Francisco. He is the founder and CEO of Kink.com, an internet pornography producer that focuses on BDSM and fetish themes...
, the company's owner, has stated that the structure suits the needs of the company very well without need for significant structural modifications to the building, and that the company would begin repairs to the decaying structure. It was also announced that Kink.com planned at some point in the future to rent out studio space for film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
production of all kinds within The Armory.
The sale was not announced until January 2007 as a result of a non-disclosure agreement
Non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement , also known as a confidentiality agreement , confidential disclosure agreement , proprietary information agreement , or secrecy agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties...
with the previous owner. The sale drew a mixed response from the San Francisco community. Many people welcomed this use of The Armory as a way of revitalizing the structure and bringing back business to the area without altering the appearance of the historic building, as well as being in keeping with San Francisco's tradition of accommodating sexual minorities. Others were disturbed that a pornography studio would be located in the middle of a residential neighborhood near schools, or were opposed to the abandonment of plans for low-income housing at the site, as well as the lack of community input into this use of The Armory.
A group known as the Mission Armory Community Collective soon formed in opposition to Kink.com's use of The Armory; the group held a public protest in front of The Armory in early February 2007. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
also expressed concern over the Kink.com purchase, and scheduled a special meeting of the San Francisco Planning Commission in March 2007 to review the company's use of the building. This public meeting was well-attended by both supporters and detractors of the Kink.com purchase. The Planning Commission for its part ruled that Kink.com was not in violation of any law or zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
requirement.
Although Kink.com has stated that its activities would be invisible to the surrounding neighborhood, La Casa de las Madres, a neighboring women's shelter
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
, announced in late March 2007 that they would be leaving the location. The shelter had planned on moving from that location in 2009 when their lease expired, but stated that they would be leaving early because of Kink.com's presence.
In late 2007, Acworth approached the San Francisco Planning Commission with the idea of converting part of the Armory space into webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
-lined condominiums. However, Acworth also described the plans as "extremely hypothetical" and stated that, "There is no firm plan for using the Armory for anything but a conventional film studio for now."
In May and December, 2008, the San Francisco Armory hosted Mission Bazaar, an all-ages arts fair featuring local artists and craftspeople selling their work, as well as performances. It was the first public event held in the Armory since the 1970s.
A creek runs through the basement of the Armory. Mission Creek
Mission Creek
Mission Creek is a river in San Francisco, California that has been largely culverted. The only remaining portion above ground is in the Mission Creek Channel that drains into China Basin....
once flowed through San Francisco, but like many other creeks in the city, it was diverted into the sewer system in the 1800s. The Armory's basement is the only place where Mission Creek can still be seen.
External links
- Official site
- Mission Armory Community Collective (anti-Kink.com) (At Wayback MachineWayback MachineThe Wayback Machine is a digital time capsule created by the Internet Archive non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California. It is maintained with content from Alexa Internet. The service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time, which the Archive calls a "three...
, archived 10-30-2007.) - "The Future of San Francisco's Mission District" by Randy Shaw‚ BeyondChron, January 22‚ 2007.
- "The straight story on the armory" by Eric Quezada and Nick Pagoulatos, San Francisco Bay Guardian, February 7, 2007.
- "Mission Armory in bondage" (editorial) by Toby Levine, Sam Ruiz, Anita Correa, and Roberto Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, February 7, 2007.
- "Come meet Armory's new owner" (editorial) by Peter Acworth, San Francisco Chronicle, February 12, 2007.
- "Kink.com and Porn Hysteria: The Lie of Unbiased Reporting" by Violet BlueViolet Blue (author)Violet Blue is an American writer and sex educator.Blue wrote a weekly sex column for the San Francisco Chronicle. In her podcast, Open Source Sex, she reads erotica and discusses topics such as fetishes and oral sex. She also has a video blog. Blue wrote a feature about porn for women which was...
, SFGate.com, February 15, 2007.