Historic Icon is Long-Term Investment

The Mills Building’s most distinctive feature is the Montgomery Street entrance arch.

SAN FRANCISCO—The Mills Building at 220 Montgomery is San Francisco’s only remaining example of the Chicago School of Architecture, outlasting the old Chronicle building at Market and Kearny, which has been entirely modified, and the Crocker building at Post and Kearny, which was torn down in 1967. The building was commissioned by Darius Ogden Mills, one of San Francisco’s early mega-businessmen. Burnham and Root of Chicago designed the 154-foot steel frame skyscraper with the most distinctive feature being the Montgomery Street entrance arch.

The building survived the 1906 earthquake, although its interior was virtually gutted by the ensuing fire. Architect Willis Polk oversaw the building’s restoration in 1907, adhering to its original design. Only minor restoration after the 1906 earthquake and fire were needed for the curved staircases in the Montgomery Street lobby, which are still comprised of the original Jaune Fleuri marble. Additions made in 1914 and 1918 also maintained the building’s stylistic integrity. The last addition, the 22-story Mills Tower, was completed in 1932.