The historic relighting of the Ferry Building on March 3 of this year was a remarkable, festive event marking 100 years of San Francisco's extraordinary history.
Event organizer Donna Ewald Huggins (right) along with guests dressed in period clothing from 1915 at the March 3 Lighting Ceremony.
Published: December, 2015
The historic relighting of the Ferry Building on March 3 of this year was a remarkable, festive event marking 100 years of San Francisco’s extraordinary history. All are invited to gather again on the Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building on Friday, December 4 at 4:15 p.m. for a celebration marking the end of the special centennial lights.
The stunning lights have been enthusiastically received—and the bold “1915,” which is also visible during the day, has motivated many to learn more about the colorful history of our beloved city. San Francisco was host to the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition (PPIE), also known as the World’s Fair, and for the duration of the exposition the Ferry Building’s tower was festooned with lights boldly proclaiming “1915” to visitors on both sides of the Bay.
In addition to commem-orating the completion of the Panama Canal, the 1915 exposition celebrated San Francisco’s recovery from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake and its emergence as a center of world trade, beauty, progress and innovation. Designed by A. Page Brown and completed in 1898, our iconic Ferry Building was one of the few structures that was not seriously damaged during the earthquake. In 1915, this vital transportation mecca served as a welcoming center for all who visited to attend the PPIE—over 18 million visitors!
The re-creation of the Ferry Building lighting as it was during the 1915 PPIE was the idea of Donna Ewald Huggins, Mayor Ed Lee’s liaison for the centennial year, and was put together by a consortium of organizations including the Ferry Building, the Port of San Francisco, Bay Crossings, the California Historical Society, steeplejack Jim Phelan (assisted by Metropolitan Electric and Sunward Flag) and generous donors including Maurice Kanbar and Taube Philanthropies.
The lights will be switched off on Friday, December 4—the exact day the PPIE closed its gates forever in 1915. The official public ceremony will begin at 4:15 p.m. and is sponsored by Sterling Bank and the Seligman Family Foundation. The first 500 attendees will receive special commemorative candles. Ann Gibson and Craig Ventresco will perform, and surprises—including an aerial tribute—will take place.
From left to right, Mayor Ed Lee, Port Director Monique Moyer, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Chief of Protocol Charlotte Shultz, Honorable Willie Brown and Steeplejack Jim Phelan switch on the centennial lights on March 3.
