888 Brannan

Designed by architect/engineer Maurice Couchot, the National Carbon Building at 870 Brannan Street is a large-scale industrial warehouse structure overlaid with classical details. The building was built in multiple phases with the original 1917 building facing 8th Street. The 1917 building was four stories tall above street level with a small fifth story section at the northern end. In 1920, a four- story, nine-bay extension of the building was added along Brannan Street. Also added to the complex was the four-story building along the east facade and a one-story structure with a clerestory.

The building was commissioned by the Eveready (battery) Division of the National Carbon Company, which became a unit of Union Carbide in 1917. In 1937, the original (8th Street) portion of the building was acquired by Blake, Moffit, and Towne Company, an early San Francisco paper distribution company. In 1950, Blake, Moffit, and Towne occupied the remainder of the complex, which was used as their headquarters and warehouse until 1981. In 1982, the complex was converted into wholesale showrooms and has remained that use until the present. The 1982 rehabilitation reportedly took advantage of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit incentives. This was when the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

ARG Conservation Services was retained by Beacon Capital Partners, LLC to conduct site investigations into exterior stucco finishes and the large skylight located at 888 Brannan Street. Previous investigations have revealed small areas of delaminated stucco at the 8th Street exterior elevations and on-going leaks at the central skylight occur during the rainy season. The purpose of this investigation was to re-examine these conditions and develop treatment recommendations to mitigate life-safety issues and waterproofing deficiencies.