California Hall, originally named Das Deutsche Haus ( English: ''The German House'', sometimes also referred to in incorrect German as Das Deutsches Haus), is a historic commercial building and event venue built in 1912, located in the

Polk Gulch Polk Street (sometimes referred to by its name in German, ''Polkstrasse'') is a street in San Francisco, California, that travels northward from Market Street to Beach Street and is one of the main thoroughfares of the Polk Gulch neighborhood t ...

/ Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It started as a German social meeting hall. In 1965, it was the location of a fundraiser event for gay charities that brought trouble with the police and an ensuing legal battle. This event has been described a turning point in gay rights in the west coast. In the mid-1960s and 1970s, it was a popular concert hall; performers that played at the California Hall include

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the San Francisco Bay Area, ...

Moby Grape Moby Grape is an American rock band founded in 1966. Part of San Francisco's psychedelic music scene, the band merged elements of rock and roll, folk music, pop, blues, and country. They were one of the few groups of which all members were lea ...

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company are an American rock band that was formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After ...

, the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

, and

Quicksilver Messenger Service Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band achieved wide popularity in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe, ...

. The building presently is part of the

Academy of Art University The Academy of Art University (AAU, or ART U), formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. ...

campus. The California Hall has been listed as a

San Francisco Designated Landmark This is a list of San Francisco Designated Landmarks. In 1967, the city of San Francisco, California, adopted Article 10 of the Planning Code, providing the city with the authority to designate and protect landmarks from inappropriate alteration ...

since October 7, 1984.

History

In 1912, when the Das Deutsche Haus was built, Polkstrasse (now

Polk Street Polk Street (sometimes referred to by its name in German, ''Polkstrasse'') is a street in San Francisco, California, that travels northward from Market Street to Beach Street and is one of the main thoroughfares of the Polk Gulch neighborhood t ...

) was a main commercial shopping center for German immigrants. The architect was Frederick H. Meyer and the design of the building was influenced by the

Heidelberg Castle Heidelberg Castle () is a ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th c ...

in Germany. There was a restaurant in the basement called the

Rathskeller Ratskeller (German: "council's cellar", pl. ''Ratskeller'', historically ''Rathskeller'') is a name in German-speaking countries for a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall (''Rathaus'') or nearby. Many taverns, nightclubs, b ...

. It was originally used as a meeting space by 43 German societies and fraternities. In 1918, the building's name was changed to California Hall, as part of what has been described as a general "process of physically removing the presence of German influence" in San Francisco following the entry of the US into

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on the side opposing Germany.

German American Bund The German American Bund, or the German American Federation (, ''Amerikadeutscher Volksbund'', AV), was a German-American Nazi organization which was established in 1936 as a successor to the Friends of New Germany (FONG, FDND in German) and ...

, a

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

organization for Americans of German-descent, held meetings in the building prior to World War II. In October 1938, it was the venue of a "German Day" celebration attended by 2500 members of German societies, with speeches by mayor Rossi and Nazi Germany's Consul General von Killinger, protested by 150 anti-Nazi demonstrators outside the building. The building was featured in the action movie,

Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American action-thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry (film series), ''Dirty Harry'' series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first appearance as San Francisco Polic ...

(1971). The building previously housed the

California Culinary Academy The California Culinary Academy (CCA) was a for-profit school, and an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu located in San Francisco, California. Danielle Carlisle established the school in 1977 to train chefs using the European education model. The origi ...

, and it is presently part of the

campus.

1965 New Years Ball

In the 1950s gay men started to visit Polk Street, specifically the area near California Hall in Lower Polk. The 1965 New Years Ball (a fundraiser for the

Council on Religion and the Homosexual The Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) was a San Francisco, California, United States–based organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of joining homosexual activists and religious leaders. Formation The CRH was formed in 1964 by Gl ...

, and other

homophile Terms used to describe homosexuality have gone through many changes since the emergence of the first terms in the mid-19th century. In English, some terms in widespread use have been '' sodomite'', '' Sapphic'', '' Uranian or Urning'', '' homop ...

organizations) was held January 1, 1965 at the California Hall. During the event, the police interfered with the gay attendees by taking photos of each person entering the building; which prompted a legal battle led by Evander Smith and Herb Donaldson.Miller, Neil (1995). ''Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the present.'' New York: Vintage Books. pp. 348. . The 1965 event had marked a turning point in gay rights on the west coast. By 1971, Polk Street was advertised as "one of the gayest streets in San Francisco". A migration from Polk Street to the Castro District happened in the 1970s, for more affordable housing.

Music venue

The California Hall building has an auditorium that served as a periodic concert hall, primarily for rock bands in the mid-1960s. In 1965, the venue hosted two productions by Family Dog; The Charlatans with the

Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (; September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and Counterculture of the 1960s, countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies o ...

and the

Merry Pranksters The Merry Pranksters were followers of American author Ken Kesey. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters lived communally at Kesey's homes in California and Oregon, and are noted for the sociological significance of a lengthy road trip they took in the s ...

Acid Tests The Acid Tests were a series of parties held by author Ken Kesey primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area during the mid-1960s, centered on the use of and advocacy for the psychedelic drug LSD, commonly known as "acid". LSD was not made illega ...

happening (at the same time at

The Fillmore The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...

, a bus moved between the two music halls). The Grateful Dead played with The Charlatans on May 29, 1966; and on October 31, 1966, with Quicksilver Messenger Service and

Mimi Farina Mimi or MIMI may refer to: People and fictional characters * Mimi (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Constantin Mimi (1868–1935), Bessarabian politician and winemaker * Mimi (footballer, born 1996), Bissau Guinean footbal ...

. On June 19, 1966,

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

played with the three person Mockers band. On August 28, 1977, punk bands played including the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

The Nuns The Nuns was an American rock band based in San Francisco and New York City. Best known as one of the founding acts of the early San Francisco punk scene, the band went through a number of hiatuses and periodic reunions, lineup changes, and ch ...

, and Mary Monday. The last California Hall concerts were held in 1983.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Civic Center, San Francisco San Francisco Designated Landmarks Music venues in San Francisco 1910s architecture in the United States German-American history German American Bund LGBTQ history in San Francisco Baroque Revival architecture in the United States White nationalism in California

History

1965 New Years Ball

Music venue

References

Further reading

External links