Calvary Presbyterian Church – Exterior Sandstone

Calvary Presbyterian Church was dedicated on January 14, 1855, in San Francisco’s Financial District. In 1869, a larger sanctuary was built for the congregation in Union Square, now the lobby of the St. Francis hotel. This church was disassem-bled and rebuilt at its current location in Pacific Heights in 1904. Situated on solid bedrock, the church withstood the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, and was eventually enlarged to include a chapel, library complex, and education building. The church is inscribed on the list of San Francisco Designated Historic Landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places.

The sandstone exterior was painted in 1962. When ARG Conservation Services was asked to assess its condition fifty years later, thick layers of lead-based paint were failing and the underlying sandstone had deteriorated. After surveying and testing to determine the integrity of the stone beneath, a team of staff conservators and masons carefully removed the paint and outer layer of unstable stone, revealing beautiful Tenino sandstone with a swirling grain.

ARG Conservation Services received a 2011 Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation for its restoration of Calvary Presbyterian Church.