City of Paris Building
historic place
The City of Paris Building in San Francisco traces its origins to 1850. That year, the Verdier brothers opened a store from the ship "La Ville de Paris," adopting the motto "Fluctuat nec mergitur," meaning "It is tossed by the waves but does not sink." In 1896, a Beaux-Arts building designed by Clinton Day opened for the business at the corner of Geary and Stockton Streets. This building notably survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, though its interior was badly damaged. Architects John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown reconstructed the interior, adding an opulent rotunda with a stained-glass dome. The store reopened in 1909, and the rotunda became known for housing a large Christmas tree each holiday season. Designated a California Historical Landmark, the original building was demolished in 1981. However, its distinctive rotunda and stained-glass dome were preserved and integrated into the Neiman Marcus building now on the site. This location marks a significant chapter in San Francisco's commercial and architectural history.