Flood Building

Location: 870 Market (Market/Powell, NE corner).

The 12-story James L. Flood Building at Market/Powell, designed by architect Albert Pissis, was completed in 1904. It replaced the Baldwin Hotel & Theatre previously at the same site. The building survived the 1906 earthquake but was gutted by the fire. In the 1920s, Dashiell Hammett worked at the building for the Pinkerton Detective Agency (office in room 313). Many renovations later, the Flood Building still stands today (in 2026) at the Powell St. BART station and cable car turnaround.

James L. Flood (1857-1926) was the son of silver baron James C. Flood (1826-1889). James C. Flood built the Flood Mansion on Nob Hill (1000 California, now the Pacific Union Club) in 1886 and the Flood Building at Market/4th (first image below) in 1887. The James L. Flood building was originally known as the New Flood Building to distinguish it from the earlier Flood Building (the Old Flood Building).

Images:

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Postcards:

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See also:

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