Old Mint

Old Mint : The Michelin guide review

Future home of the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society (expected date of completion: 2009), the Old Mint-fondly known as the Granite Lady-is one of San Francisco's finest Neoclassical buildings. Made of brick with stone facing in 1874, the structure served as a US Mint until 1937, narrowly surviving the fire of 1906 when employees, with the help of soldiers and a tiny firehose, fought the flames to save $200 million in silver and gold; after minting operations ceased here, the Old Mint held government offices and, later, a small museum. Though the building exudes indomitability with its six great Doric columns and pyramidal granite staircase, it was in fact badly damaged in the 1989 earthquake and forced to close in 1995. Finally, in June 2006 President George W. Bush signed into law a bill that would allow the US Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 and 100,000 $5 commemorative Old Mint coins to finance its restoration.