Haslett Warehouse
historic place
The Haslett Warehouse in San Francisco stands as a historic place. It was constructed between 1907 and 1909. The California Fruit Canner's Association commissioned its construction. Architect William S. Mooser, Jr. designed the building. Initially, the warehouse stored canned goods, including those bearing the Del Monte label after the company merged in 1916. From 1930 to 1943, it held the disassembled pieces of an Italian monastery acquired by William Randolph Hearst. After World War II, the warehouse served as a temporary mortuary for deceased Chinese awaiting burial in their homeland. It also stored imported automobiles, tires, and other goods. The Haslett Warehouse Company purchased the building in 1948. In 1974, San Francisco designated it a city landmark. The following year, in 1975, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service acquired the warehouse in 1978, and it became part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1988. Today, the building houses the Argonaut Hotel and the Maritime Park's Visitor Center. This structure illustrates the evolving commercial and social history of San Francisco's waterfront.