Pioneer Trunk Factory--C. A. Malm & Co.
historic place
In San Francisco, California, stands the Pioneer Trunk Factory, also known as the C. A. Malm & Co. building. This historic place is located in the Mission District, at the corner of 18th and Folsom Streets. The factory consists of two three-story structures, erected in 1902. San Francisco architect Thomas J. Welsh designed these buildings. They are a rare example of factory structures built entirely of wood and adorned with Italianate architectural details. This style was unusual for industrial buildings of that era. C. A. Malm & Co. was a significant trunk-making business, founded around 1868 by Charles A. Malm, and once the largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast. The factory produced luggage, including specialized automobile trunks, until the 1930s. Notably, the wood-frame factory survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. After the factory ceased operations, the buildings served as a warehouse and machine shop. They were rehabilitated for commercial office use in the mid-1980s. The Pioneer Trunk Factory--C. A. Malm & Co. was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1987. It remains an important example of early 20th-century industrial architecture in San Francisco.