On the fateful morning of 18 April 1906, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked San Francisco. As if the violent shocks and estimated 45-60 seconds of shaking that toppled much of the city wasn’t enough, a subsequent fire burned for three days and wiped out some 500 blocks. In the end, over half the city’s population was homeless. Refugee camps — tent towns, essentially — were erected in Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, Dolores Park, Precita Park and elsewhere. But as winter approached, a more substantial solution to the temporary housing needs became necessary, and the earthquake shack was born.

It’s been said that these shelters could be built in a day. They were simple rectangular structures measuring approximately 140 to 375 square feet, with no kitchen or toilet. In all, 5,000+ were produced in a joint effort between the San Francisco Relief Corporation, the San Francisco Parks Commission and the US Army. Refugee tenants paid $2 per month toward the $50 cost of a shelter. After paying off a home, the owner was required to move it from the camp.

Most shacks were eventually demolished as the city rebuilt, however a few dozen are still scattered around today. Some were combined to make a bigger house while others had additions constructed to improve comfort. As a result, surviving shacks are largely unidentifiable at first glance. A sampling of these homes listed for sale in recent years reveals a wide variety of adaptations made for longterm habitability over the past century.

One such home found its way to 1448 Kearny Street on storied Telegraph Hill. With shingles now covering its redwood plank walls of yesteryear, it has gained a rear kitchen and bath addition as well as a partial basement. The most dramatic transformation, however, is inside. Whitewashed fir flooring, bright monochromatic finishes, the removal of a drop ceiling and creation of a new lofted bedroom area are but a few recent updates. The space is cozy, to be sure, but its volume exceeds what the shack’s diminutive 330-square-foot original floor area leads on.

Listed for sale earlier this month, 1448 Kearny Street is a rare opportunity to purchase a move-in ready single-family home for under a million dollars. Its $850,000 sticker price is, in fact, approximately half San Francisco’s median sales price and represents a mere 11 percent appreciation since the property last sold in 2014 — about one quarter of the median price gain citywide during the period. The seller is set to review offers this coming Wednesday, 19 July 2023. We’ll be watching to see if a buyer comes forward.

Interested in learning more and taking a tour? Contact me today.