Pioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli Company
historic place
This location in San Francisco encompasses the history of both the Pioneer Woolen Mills and the D. Ghirardelli Company. The Pioneer Woolen Mills, established here in 1858, was California's first woolen mill. After an initial frame structure burned in 1861, a brick mill designed by William S. Mooser was built in 1862. This mill produced uniforms for Union soldiers during the Civil War. In 1893, the D. Ghirardelli Company acquired the former woolen mills. Domingo Ghirardelli's sons expanded the site into a significant chocolate manufacturing complex. Architect William S. Mooser, Sr. designed the new factory buildings, constructed between 1900 and 1923. Key additions included the Clock Tower in 1915 and the prominent Ghirardelli sign in 1923. All buildings survived the 1906 earthquake. In the 1960s, chocolate production moved, and the site transitioned into Ghirardelli Square, a notable early example of adaptive reuse. This place represents a significant chapter in San Francisco's industrial and architectural past.