August Nordin, San Francisco Master Architect, and his masterpiece: the Swedish American Hall


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Thursday, June 9, 2015; 7:00-9:00pm; FREE

Swedish American Hall (2174 Market St., SF 94114

In celebration of PPIE100, on June 9, 2015 at 7pm at the Swedish American Hall, Fylgia

Lodge (VOA#119) presents Jonathan Lammers, historical architect in San Francisco’s

planning department, offer a FREE illustrated talk on San Francisco’s Master Architect,

August Nordin, and his masterpiece (San Francisco’s newest landmark, #267), the Swedish

American Hall, ranked by the City as among its top 5% of landmarks.

In addition to describing the distinctive features of the Hall itself, Lammers also

discusses the development of San Francisco’s Swedish and Scandinavian community before

the Earthquake of 1906 and subsequently when it became the hub of these communities

along Market Street from Church to Castro and in the surrounding neighborhoods. This is

the history of the city immediately preceding the Fair —

Built in 1907, the Hall became the center for all of the planning by the San Franciscan

Swedes, fund raising, staffing, and special events throughout 1915 at the Swedish Pavilion in

the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Sweden was one of the first countries to

commit to the fair and to break ground.

It’s exhibits at the pavilion and particularly at the Palace of Fine Arts were ranked by

many as among the finest there. It was from the Hall that the Swedes paraded in February

1915 to inaugurate their Pavilion and again on Sweden Day at the Fair in June where they

held their annual Midsummer Festival 21 years since San Francisco’s first world’s fair. This

year marks the 121st annual celebration of this Swedish Midsummer Festival.

RSVP required: only to olssonted@yahoo.com (Subject: PPIE100 SAH).

Info: Indoors; accessible by BART & Muni; street parking only. Learn of his masterpiece in

the Hall itself. www.facebook.com/fylgia.lodge

 

August Nordin, San Francisco Master Architect,and his masterpiece: the Swedish American Hall