Montgomery Block ("Monkey Block")

The Montgomery Block, nicknamed the "Monkey Block," was completed in 1853 at the corner of Montgomery and Washington and became a longstanding hub for lawyers, artists, and writers in San Francisco. The four-story cast-iron and brick building housed offices and studios for much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was demolished in 1959 and replaced by subsequent development; historical records document its prominent role in the city's cultural and professional life.