Location: California/Dupont, NE corner; Van Ness/O'Farrell, NW corner; Geary/Gough, SW corner.
St. Mary's Cathedral at California/Dupont [now Grant] was built in 1853-1854. "Son, observe the time and fly from evil" on the clock tower admonished men to avoid the bordellos in the neighborhood. It became St. Mary's Church when a new St. Mary's Cathedral opened in 1891 (see below). The church on California survived the 1906 earthquake but was gutted by the fire, then was restored by 1909. It remains active today, now known as Old St. Mary's Church.
The Archdiocese purchased the NW corner of Van Ness/O'Farrell in 1885 and built the second St. Mary's Cathedral there 1887-1891. It survived the 1906 earthquake and fire but was destroyed by arson in 1962.
The third (current) St. Mary's Cathedral was built 1967-1971 at Geary/Gough.
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