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The
Chamber appreciates the creation of the Walking Tour by Sam's Cafe
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Sam's
Anchor Cafe Sam's is located in the heart of Main Street among all
the other older historical buildings. Although all are, of course, up to code,
a close look at many will reveal a hundred years of folklore and folly. The
glory days were drinking days and the town was filled with saloons. If the
walls could talk, oh what stories they'd tell!yes & smile of a merry bulldog,
and the prowess of a bowery bootlegger.
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About
Main
Street
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McNeil Building Circa 1886.
First structure on water side of street. Saloon, pool hall, boat leasing, and
apartments. Compass rose decoration added to upper facade during Town weekend
paintup in 1955.
Located at 15 Main Street. See map item #3 |
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Anderson Meat Market Circa 1921. First butcher shop erected 1891. Purchased by H. D.
Anderson, a New Yorker, in 1898. Store survived at this location for more than
50 years. Building burned to ground in the great fire of 1921 and was
re-erected. Renovated in 1960s with ornate false front, an example of Victorian
embellishment. Located at 32 Main Street.
See map item #5 |
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Beyries General Store &
Hotel Circa 1921. Original 1900s two-story
structure with grocery on first floor and Tiburon Hotel above destroyed in 1921
fire. Upper story rebuilt from whole sections of hotel saved from fire.
Ballustrade salvaged from author Jack London's Sonoma residence. Food market
operated until 1955. Upstairs lodging with separate stairs reportedly a
bordello in past times. Located at 34 Main Street.
See map item
#6 |
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Saloon Circa
1925. Another Main Street saloon with access to the Bay for bringing in illegal
spirits, safeguarded by concrete sidewalls. Building had varied use until 1970
when bakery opened. Located at 35 Main Street.
See map item
#7 |
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Waterfront Bar
Circa 1920s. The original small saloon was next door to an old-fashioned
drugstore/soda fountain complete with marble top counter and swivel stools.
After the pharmacy moved in 1954, the waterfront bar enlarged to become a
bar/restaurant with nautical South Seas decor including Gauguin-style
paintings. Located at 41 Main Street. See map item #8 |
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Bank Building
Circa 1925. Brick structure originally branch of Bank of Sausalito. Branch
closed in 1935. Property sold to first owner of Sam's Cafe who made daily
deposits of liquor to bank vault, a convenient locker for his nearby bar.
Located at 55 Main Street. See map item #9 |
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About Ark Row
The rest of Main Street is known as Ark Row. The name recalls the
1890s recreational houseboat lifestyle enjoyed in Belvedere Cove by sea
captains, bohemian artists, and summer residents from San Francisco. In winter,
houseboat dwellers anchored arks in the lagoon. After 1900, craze for arks
waned. Some docked along lagoon shorelines and converted to permanent local
housing. Part of filled-in lagoon became parking lot behind the shops .
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Fleming Rooming House Circa 1918. Mid-1880s structure affixed to pilings here early 1900s.
The landlady, Mrs. Fleming, lived in apartment on first floor and rented rooms
to Northwestern Pacific trainmen checked carefully "for their good character."
Outside spiral gingerbread staircase added in 1956.
Located at 72 Main
Street on Ark Row. See map item
#10 |
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The Ark Circa
1895. Typical ark of 4 rooms and kitchen. Dwelling 90% original with flat roof,
bead and reel molding and slender Corinthian columns. Another intact houseboat
"The Double Ark" at 116 Main has unusual arched roof and four fine Corinthian
capitals. Visible remains of tar and planks indicate lower level once an ark.
Located at 104 Main Street on Ark Row. See map item #11 |
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Cottage Circa
1890. Secret staircase led to hidden cupboard between floors for safekeeping of
illicit liquor. To escape revenuers, the rumrunners, tipped off to a raid,
exited by the back door to boats on lagoon. Located at 112 Main Street on Ark
Row. See map item
#12 |
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Cottage Circa
1890s. Served as artists' studio. Possible 1927 residence of Selden Connor Gile
(1877-1947), important California landscape painter and leader of the "Society
of Six," a group of California impressionists. Located at 120 Main Street on
Ark Row. See map item
#13 |
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Ranch Building Circa 1870s. Oldest building on Ark Row. Former shed on a Tiburon
Peninsula ranch. Salt box construction later addition. U.S. Centennial (1876)
wallpaper uncovered. Located at 122 Main Street on Ark Row.
See map item
#14 |
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Main Street Drawbridge Site Circa 1880s. Several different style drawbridges have linked
Tiburon's Main Street to Belvedere's Beach Road until 1930s. Story has it that
the raising of the drawbridge for arks and boats to go from winter harbor on
lagoon to summer fun on Cove began the tradition of "Opening Day on the Bay," a
spring parade of ships. See map
item #15 |
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Social Saloon of the S.S.
China Circa 1866. Belvedere Landmark 001. "The
China Cabin." Actual Victorian drawing room of a passenger and cargo sidewheel
steamer that plied between San Francisco, Japan and China. Salvaged before the
fire when the ship was burned for scrap metal in Tiburon Cove 1886. Saloon
barged to Belvedere Cove beach. Served as a residence for 90 years, before
restoration as a maritime museum by the Landmarks Society. Open 1-4, Sunday,
Wednesday, April-October. Available for private gatherings. Located at 52 Beach
Road. See map item
#16 |
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Other Points of Interest
Don't miss the opportunity to visit these other historical places
around town. All are within a few minutes walk or aboard the local Ferry.
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Lyford
Tower Circa 1889. National Register of Historic
Places - Round sandstone edifice, reminiscent of castle keep, erected by Dr.
Benjamin Lyford as Southern gateway to "Lyford's
Hygeia", a planned town site
and health spa. First subdivision on the Tiburon Peninsula. Tower affords a
view of Racoon Straits across to Angel Island, looking NE to Berkeley Hills and
SW to Golden Gate. Located on Paradise Drive. See map item #16
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Train and Ferry Terminal Circa 1884. Passenger and freight depot of the San Francisco and
North Pacific Railroad, later the Northwestern Pacific. In recent years named
"The Donahue Building" for the railway's founder. Built of redwood with board
and batten siding, Victorian style window trim. North exterior and roof
original. Concrete caissons and piles, remnants of 300 foot pier, seen at low
tide. Building will be used as railroad and ferry museum by the
Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society. Located at 1920 Paradise Drive.
See map item
#2 |
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Elephant Rock Natural landmark just offshore in downtown Tiburon. Probably named
for its size and form viewed from water. On a chart of 1850,
"Pulpeti de Padre"
(Father's Pulpit) may refer to Elephant Rock. Favorite fishing spot officially
designated for the young & young-at-heart. See map item #17 |
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Railroad Palm/Depot Palm Circa 1923. The NWPRR was noted for gardens and palm trees around
its main buildings and passenger depots. Town required developers of Point
Tiburon complex to preserve this palm. Marker placed by Heritage and Arts
Commission in 1988 to show location of railroad yard. See map item
#18 |
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Corinthian Yacht
Club Circa 1912. White frame building is second
clubhouse. A wall remains from original 1886 structure which burned. One of 2
yacht clubs in Tiburon. Private. Please view from street.
See map item
#19
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San Francisco Yacht Club Founded in 1869, it's the oldest west coast yacht club in North
America. Sponsor of AmericaTrue, an entry in America's Cup 2000. The other
yacht club in town. Private. Please view from street. |
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Gallows Frame Monument Circa 1992. A gallows frame is a mechanical device which adjust
wharf tracks to the same level as the tracks on the barge allowing transfer of
railroad cars to continue despite changes in the tides. Originally stood at the
waterfront near intersection of Paradise Drive and Main Street. Dismantled in
1974. Heritage & Arts Commission designed monument and marker.
See map item
#20 |
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Old St. Hilary's
Circa 1888. Former Roman Catholic Mission Church for railroad families. Redwood
New England-style structure, separate bell tower. Area is home to rare plants
and flowers. Owned by Landmarks Society. Used for private weddings and other
events. Open 1-4 Sunday, Wednesday, April-October. located at 201 Esperanza
Street. See map item
#21 |
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Angel Island State Park
An enchanting Island with spectacular vistas, hiking &
biking trails and historic sites: Ayala Cove--ancient Coast Miwok Indian
ceremonial site and 1775 anchorage for the Spanish ship, San Carlos, commanded
by Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala, first European surveyor of the Bay. Fort
McDowell--WWII Pacific troop embarkation point. Immigration Station--main
portal of entry for Asian immigrants first half of 20th century. Reached by
Angel Island Ferry Service, operated by the McDonough family for three
generations from 21 Main Street, Tiburon. See map item
#22 |
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Lyford House
Circa 1876. Victorian residence built by Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Lyford at
Stawberry Point. House barged to present location in 1957. National Audubon
Society acquired house and adjacent property, 1961. Open Sundays,
November-April, 1-4 p.m. (A beautiful 2.6-mile walk along Richardson Bay past
Blackie's Pasture on path that traces the former railroad
trackbed. By car from
Main Street approximately 3.2 miles to Greenwood Beach and left .3 mile to
Audubon Sanctuary.) Located at 376 Greenwood Beach Road.
See map item
#23 |
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