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Commission initiates landmark designation process for Julia Morgan–designed retirement home at 3400 Laguna Street
Summary
The commission voted to initiate landmark designation for the former Ladies Protection and Relief Society building (Heritage on the Marina) at 3400 Laguna Street, citing association with Julia Morgan and the organization’s historical role; scope and period of significance (1925–1957) were discussed.
The Historic Preservation Commission on Aug. 21 voted to initiate landmark designation for the former Ladies Protection and Relief Society building at 3400 Laguna Street (Heritage on the Marina), advancing the nomination to subsequent hearings and environmental review.
Planning staff presented the nomination and recommended initiation, citing the property's 1925 Julia Morgan–designed building and its association with the Ladies Protection and Relief Society, which the staff described as San Francisco’s second‑oldest nonprofit of its type. The department recommended a period of significance from 1925 to 1957 tied to Morgan’s main building and the Society’s period of primary use.
Christopher Plank, the preservation consultant who prepared the community‑sponsored nomination, said he was surprised the property "had no formal historic status" and emphasized the building’s architectural rarity and association with Julia Morgan. Neighbors in support noted the site’s landscape and asked staff to reconsider restricting the period of significance; one commenter asked that the designation include all buildings and landscaping on the lot.
Staff explained the decision to limit the period of significance to 1925–1957: later additions, including mid‑century work by other architects, postdate the Society's original mission and were not judged to contribute to the same significance. Commissioners discussed the nomination and then voted 5–0 (Commissioner Wright recused) to adopt a resolution to initiate designation and to place the item on the commission's work program for further hearings.
Because initiation is the first procedural step, staff will schedule a subsequent hearing where the commission will be asked to make a formal recommendation on designation that would be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors. Additional written letters in support were noted as having been submitted after packets were distributed.
