Henry Geilfuss Explained

Henry Geilfuss
Birth Date:	1850
Birth Place:	Thurin, Germany
Death Date:	May 10, 1922

Henry Geilfuss (July 1850 – May 10, 1922) also known as Heinrich Geilfuss, was a German-born American architect. He designed approximately 400 homes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Early life

He was born in Thuringia in 1850. He studied architecture in Erfurt, Weimar and Berlin and he first practiced architecture in Berlin designing railroad bridges.^[1]

Career

Geilfuss moved to San Francisco in 1876. He designed many buildings in the Italian Villa style and in the Eastlake style of architecture. He designed approximately 400 homes in the San Francisco area.^[2] One of the more prominent homes he designed was for confectioner William Westerfeld. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and it is referred to as the William Westerfeld House.^[3]

In 1900 Henry Geilfuss' son Carl joined the architecture firm.^[4] Henry remained in practice until at least 1910.

Known Works

• South San Francisco Opera House and Masonic Hall^[5]
• Italian-Swiss Colony Building, San Francisco (demolished)
• Armour&Co Meatpacking Building, 1050 Battery St, San Francisco
• Golden West Hotel, Ellis Street, San Francisco, 1891
• St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco, 1895
• Charles Dietle House, 294 Page Street, San Francisco, 1878
• William Westerfeld House, 1889
• Brune-Reutlinger House, 1886, 824 Grove Street, San Francisco
• 811 Treat Avenue, San Francisco, 1882
• 23 Henry Street, San Francisco, 1882
• 969 Page Street, San Francisco, 1893
• 1231 Page Street, San Francisco, 1889
• 605 & 611 Haight Street, San Francisco, 1888

External links

• Image of his grave marker at Find a Grave

Notes and References

1. Web site: St. Markus Kirche . Art and Architecture . Art and Architecture . 13 May 2023 . 29 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161029074707/http://www.artandarchitecture-sf.com/tag/henry-geilfuss . live .
2. Cole . Regina . Touchstone Victorian . Old House Interiors . 1995 . 43 . 13 May 2023.
3. Book: McGrew . Patrick . Landmarks of San Francisco . 1991 . H.N. Abrams . New York . 198 . 9780810935570 . 11 May 2023.
4. News: Kostura . William . Getting to Known the Unsung Designers Who Helped shape the Heritage of the Bay Area . 12 May 2023 . The San Francisco Examiner . 2 October 1991.
5. Web site: Petrin . Katherine . Davis . Matthew . August 30, 2010 . National Register of Historic Places Registration Form . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211223345/https://sfplanning.s3.amazonaws.com/commissions/hpcpackets/2011.0006U.pdf . December 11, 2023.