San Francisco County
Biographies
JAMES E. WOLFE
JAMES E. WOLFE, architect, San
Francisco, is a native of Baltimore,
Maryland. His father Henry C. Wolfe was a
Hanoverian, and an early settler of the city of Baltimore.
He served in the Revolution and was one of the defenders of the bridge at North
Point when the British attempted to cross. Our subject was reared and received
his education in his native city. Upon his reaching manhood the gold excitement
in California was attracting the attention of the
civilized world, and he sailed from Boston on the baroque
Lady Suffolk, came via Cape Horn and after a voyage of 214 days arrived in San
Francisco July 2, 1851, in time to celebrate
Independence Day. He remained here until 1855 and then went up to the mines as
architectural engineer, remained several years and erected seven
quartz-mills.
In
1859 he went to Victoria, remained there two years, and
in 1861 returned to San Francisco,
and since then for the past thirty years he has been prominently identified
with the architectural and building interests of the city and coast. Among the
Prominent buildings designed and erected by him are Sheldon’s block, First and
Market streets, Levi’s block on Market street, the First Baptist church and
many others of the same denomination, the Tabernacle and many of the finest
private residences in the city.
In
1879 Mr. Wolfe established the California Architect and Builders’ News, the
first monthly architectural journal published on the Pacific
Coast. It was successfully
conducted by him for ten years, the only exclusive architectural journal
published here. Mr. Wolfe married in Baltimore, Miss M. A. Beastall,
a native of New York, and a most
estimable lady. Her death occurred in 1882. They had eight children, six of
whom survive. Mr. Wolfe’s present wife is one of the Emerson families of Maine
and Boston. Her grandfather was the
founder of Parsons Field, York County, Maine.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 598, Lewis
Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.
California
Biography Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library