It was here, in 1907, that the notorious political boss Abe Ruef went into hiding after being indicted on 65 counts of bribery. It is said that bullets can still be found in its walls, left over from fights over who would get to date the favorite hostess of the evening.
With
Prohibition it closed and shortly after the entire property surrounding
it was bought by Mrs. Sigmund Stern, who gave it all to the city as a
memorial to her late husband.
Mrs. Stern hired Bernard Maybeck to oversee the restoration of the Trocadero Inn. Despite his own personal architectural style being so different he was careful not to impose his style on the building and restored it beautifully, in accord with its original spirit. In his words, "You see, we have simply had to be careful not to spoil the picture. It was nearly perfect as we found it."
The architecture of the Inn is filled with delightful details, typical of the period, from its porch, to its deeply overhung gable and its cupola.
A detailed set of drawings is available at my eBay store. This set consists of 13 sheets, each measuring 18" x 24", consisting of a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and many fascinating details.
Mrs. Stern hired Bernard Maybeck to oversee the restoration of the Trocadero Inn. Despite his own personal architectural style being so different he was careful not to impose his style on the building and restored it beautifully, in accord with its original spirit. In his words, "You see, we have simply had to be careful not to spoil the picture. It was nearly perfect as we found it."
The architecture of the Inn is filled with delightful details, typical of the period, from its porch, to its deeply overhung gable and its cupola.
A detailed set of drawings is available at my eBay store. This set consists of 13 sheets, each measuring 18" x 24", consisting of a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and many fascinating details.
