by Michael Helquist
Copyright 2007 All rights reserved, Michael Helquist
Working for one company in the same position for 40 continuous years? Family members working for the same firm? Moving out of the South of Market instead of rushing into it? The story of the first owners and residents of 1557-1559 Fulton offers a sharp contrast to today’s career patterns and real estate choices.
John Cunningham established his family at 841 Harrison in the late 1800’s while he worked at least 24 years as a bricklayer for the San Francisco Gas Light Company, the forerunner of today’s Pacific Gas & Electric. His son, John J Cunningham, recognized his father’s job security, but he hoped to move forward with different skills. After completing his studies in 1883 at the Pacific Business College, he became a clerk and bookkeeper for SF Gas Light Company. Here he remained for 42 years while the company evolved first into the San Francisco Gas & Electric Company and then into P.G.&E. in 1914-1915. John Jr.’s steady employment allowed him to become fully established in the city: getting married (to his wife, Eleanor), buying property in the new “outer lands,” and building a house at 1559 Fulton. His home was completed, and he applied for water service, on March 23, 1898.
Initially the Fulton Street building was simply listed with one address “1559” and likely encompassed the total space now split between two flats. The street level flat, now 1561, was intended as a separate residence but it is not clear when it first served that purpose. John and Eleanor Cunningham remained in their Fulton Street home until 1925, a total of 27 years. They then moved briefly to nearby 559 Lyon before settling with their new son, Byron, in 1927 at 1367 30th Avenue, choosing a more “suburban” neighborhood as was common at the time. John died in 1939 or a few years later, and his wife remained on 30th Avenue until 1953 when she moved in with her son and his wife, Peggy, at 2226 Noriega. Byron Cunningham followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a bookkeeper himself, first at the Bank of Italy (later to become Bank of America), then at the Pacific Fruit Exchange and Wells Fargo Nevada National Bank before becoming a salesman with Standard Oil Company. He remained associated with Standard Oil and the gas service station business for the rest of his career, eventually owning Ocean Avenue Garage at 1701 Ocean Avenue.
The Cunningham family story exemplifies loyalty to one company, a son following his father into the same business with a more professional position, and the residential movement from the south of Market to the Western Addition and later to the “suburbs” of the Avenues. Their San Francisco experience is a fundamental part of the city’s history of commercial growth, family relationships, and neighborhood growth.
Once the Cunninghams left their Fulton Street home, it was split into two upper flats, 1557 and 1559, as well as two lower flats from time to time. A series of tenants, resided in the separate units mostly for just a few years, the longest being John and Clara Chester in the 1950’s and Betty Franklin (later Caldwell) from 1966 through 1980. The current owner of the building, who also lives in the neighborhood, reports that her parents purchased 1557-1559-1561 Fulton in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.
Although the buildings on either side are larger and more ornate in exterior decoration, 1557-1559 Fulton strikes its own pose with a light lavendar background and darker lavendar trim. The slanted bay window with its centered, curved window is offset above with an intricate criss-cross and circle trim work that wraps around the sides of the building as well.
After ascending the somewhat steep 16 stairs to the portico, one notes the side stained glass window prior to entering the shared lobby between 1557 and 1559. This was likely the entry room before the house was split into two flats as the door to 1559 at the right is clearly a later addition. Entering 1559 Fulton, the eye sweeps into the three large, successive rooms: the front sitting room with a view of the street and the original fireplace with its mottled tan and white tiles and mantle with mirror; the middle room now serving as a bedroom; and the back room with pocket doors as dining area and office. What captures the eye most upon entry is the ornate passageway between the first two rooms. Instead of the often-used pocket doors, there is a wide, heavily carved arch with double columns inset on either side, and floral cornices.
The flat at 1557 received the larger and more expansive original kitchen, but the cooking area in 1559 fully meets one’s needs. The kitchen then leads to a storage area and the back porch and down into a very large garden with several trees, including three bearing apples. When the current residents began planting the garden, they found tombstones from the late 1800’s bearing names of early city residents, likely taken from the old cemeteries that were once just west of Masonic.
Wayne Edfors and Derrik Anderson moved into their flat at 1559 Fulton just over three years ago; they were drawn to the neighborhood because of its proximity to the Panhandle and to all the activities in the nearby Haight as well as the easy bus rides to most of their desired destinations in the city. While Wayne is from Illinois, Derrik is a native Californian, hailing from Lodi (which he acknowledges with a sigh...). When they’re not taking on San Francisco’s torrid real estate market as agents for Prudential Realty, Wayne and Derrik enjoy gardening, entertaining friends, and motorcycling out of town. Wayne is also a NOPNA board member and the coordinator of our newsletter distribution. We hope that their home searches for others don’t tempt them to leave our neighborhood, and that we will be neighbors for years to come.
City directories, Sanborn maps, SF Block Books from the Main Library; SF Water Department records.