Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a notable landmark dedicated to the San Francisco, California firefighters.
This art deco 210-foot (64-meter) unpainted reinforced concrete tower was dedicated in 1933. It was built with funds bequeathed by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, widow of a wealthy financier, by Arthur Brown Jr. and Henry Howard with murals by Victor Arnautoff and a score of other artists. While most of the murals have been restored, a small segment (the spiral stairway exit to the observation platform) was not restored but durably painted over with epoxy surfacing. These murals in particular contained very "leftist" political and social themes related to the great depression and socialist political movements. Most of the murals are open for public viewing without charge during open hours. The murals in the spiral stairway, however, can only be viewed on pre-arranged tours. San Francisco City Guides provides free walking tours which give access to these murals on a regular basis. See the bottom of this article for a link.
The tower, which stands in San Francisco's Pioneer Park, offers fantastic views of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park ("Aquatic Park"), Alcatraz, Pier 39, Angel Island, Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, the Financial District, and Nob Hill. The elevator to the top of the tower costs $3.75 but the breathtaking view is well worth the price.
The hill upon which the tower stands is called Telegraph Hill, named for its use before the local implementation of the electric telegraph. From here, observers, when seeing arriving ships, would identify them and by "wig-wag" mechanical signals (a form of telegraphy) relay the information to observers operating for financiers, merchants, wholesalers and speculators. As some of these information consumers would know the nature of the cargo carried by the ship they could quickly predict the upcoming (generally lower) local prices for those goods and commodities carried. Those who did not have advance information on the cargo might pay a too-high price from a merchant unloading his stock of a commodity - a price that was about to drop.
Due to the extreme topography, the parking lot at the top of the hill is only accessible by one road, Telegraph Hill Boulevard. Because Coit Tower is such a popular tourist attraction, at peak times, the street can be backed up a third or more of the way down the hill, and the wait to get to the top can reach 40 minutes or more. This prompts many drivers to make illegal U-turns, blocks resident access, and delays the 39-Coit bus. For these reasons, as of 2005, the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic is considering eliminating public parking at the top of the hill and promoting public transportation alternatives from more accessible locations.
A system of wooden and concrete stairs and footpaths lead to the top of the hill from various directions, making a steep but direct climb possible.
Telegraph Hill Boulevard connects with Lombard Street, another popular tourist attraction.
The Mural
See also
External links
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