The Lee, Don, Building
historic place
The Lee, Don, Building, a historic place in San Francisco, was erected in 1921. Designed by architects Weeks and Day, it became one of San Francisco's most architecturally significant automobile showrooms. Located on Van Ness Avenue, it was a prominent part of the city's historic Auto Row. Don Lee commissioned this elaborate building, which influenced other dealers to construct similar showrooms. Its architecture incorporated historicist imagery, drawing from Renaissance Italian and Spanish Colonial styles. The main elevation on Van Ness Avenue features a three-banded design with a rusticated terra cotta base. From the 1920s through the 1940s, the building also housed the studios and offices of KFRC radio on its mezzanine level. The Lee, Don, Building illustrates a key period in San Francisco's automotive marketing and broadcasting history.