San Francisco County
Biographies
FREDERICK W. KRELLING & SONS
KRELLING FURNITURE COMPANY.--In 1873 F. W. Krelling landed
with his family in San Francisco from New York,
whither he had emigrated from Germany
with his wife and two sons in 1855. Being a cabinet-maker by trade Mr. Krelling
in 1881 started a small furniture factory on Fifth Street,
between Brannan and Bryant streets, making fine furniture exclusively. The
business grew rapidly under his judicious management, and when in August, 1886,
his manufactory was burned; he employed twenty-five men. The destruction was
complete, including buildings, stock and lumber yard, involving a loss of
$25,000. The third day after the fire he resumed business with eight workmen;
and about a month later he bought and removed to their commodious quarters on
Guenoro Street. The buildings, which had formerly been occupied as a trunk
manufactory, cover an area of 250 x 275 feet, two stories in height. The plant embraces a thorough equipment of modern wood-working
machinery and tools; and from 80 to 150 men are employed in the factory.
Mr. Krelling trained his three sons to a practical knowledge of the business,
and some years ago made them co-partners with him under the firm style of F. W.
Krelling & Sons. Their chief lines of manufacture
are high-class furniture, fine bank and office fitting, and wood mantels, of
which they have originated over eighty elegant designs. Upholstering is also a
prominent feature of their business. The superiority of this firms workmanship
in bank and office work is attested in the finishing’s of many of the principal
banks and buildings of the city, including the Nevada,
First National. British North American, Mercantile and other
banks, the Chronicle building and the
clerk’s office in the New City Hall. Krelling & Sons have a store and ware-rooms with over
5,000 feet of floor space on Market Street,
opposite the Grand Hotel, where they carry in stock one of the largest and
finest assortments of household furniture in the Pacific metropolis. They have
a $100,000 invested in their manufactory and furniture business. Possessing the
love of music, characteristic of their nationality, the Messrs. Krelling in
1878 erected the Tivoli Opera House on Eddy street, which they opened with
first class opera the following year, and have conducted it, furnishing
classical performances seven nights in the week ever since. This is the only
house of entertainment in San Francisco which plays a
stock company, and the Tivoli is the only house in America
where a first class opera is given every night in the year. The phenomenal
success of this commendable undertaking is due to the business sagacity of its
projectors in furnishing their patrons a superior entertainment for a moderate
price. So potent has this scheme been as an educator of the musical taste of San
Francisco people, that seldom is their
a vacant seat to be seen among the 1,900 in the large auditorium. The
company embraces some ninety people, some of whom are artists of high merit in
their respective roles. The proprietors have a wardrobe department in which all
the stage apparel for the performers is manufactured by the most skillful
designers and artisans. The plays are changed twice a month; William Krelling
is the managing partner of the opera house, and also of the store. He is
recognized as one of San Francisco’s
leading business men, and has also been somewhat active in local Politics,
having been twice elected Tax Collector of the city, in 1886 and 1888. Mr. F.W.
Krelling, the senior member of this enterprising firm, though seventy-two years
of age, has active supervision of the manufactory, and is a remarkably well
preserved man for his years.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages
617-618, Lewis Publishing
Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.
California
Biography Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library