Platt's Hall

216 Montgomery St. | map |

Opening: August 6, 1860. Henry B. Platt was the proprietor, a gentleman who was also in the insurance business. The building was on the northeast corner of Montgomery and Bush. The earlier Meiggs' Music Hall had been across the street on the southeast corner.

Architect: Caleb Hyatt 

Seating: 1,900 in theatre mode, up to 2,500 for other events. The seats were removable. The hall, on the main floor of the building, had a wrap-around balcony on the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor of the building was leased out as fraternal lodge space. In the basement was a 1,200 capacity ballroom and another connecting ballroom of smaller capacity.  

The construction project was announced in the June 12, 1860 Daily Alta California: 

"The New Music Hall and the Pioneers — Mr. Platt has commenced operations upon his new Music Hall in good earnest. The foundation has been laid, and a portion of the stage and flooring laid also. A description of the new building has already appeared in our columns. The Hall will be completed by the end of July, and has been already engaged by the Society of California Pioneers, who will inaugurate it with a grand ball."

The hall was described in an article in the "City Items" column in the July 28, 1860 Daily Alta California:  

"The New Music Hall on Montgomery Street — We are indebted to Caleb Hyatt, Esq., architect of the new Music Hall, at the corner of Montgomery and Bush streets, for the following description of that unique and beautiful structure. The front elevation, or that facing upon Montgomery street, is a continuance of the Mercantile Library building and with the latter, will present when completed, a splendid facade of one hundred and thirty-seven feet fix inches. The hall itself is one hundred feet long by seventy-five feet in width, and the ceiling is thirty-three feet six inches in height, or about seven feet higher than that of the old Musical Hall. [meaning Meiggs' Music Hall, which burned in January 1860]. The whole work of the interior is advancing rapidly to completion, upwards of a hundred and twenty men being employed in the several departments of upholstering, gilding, painting, gas-fitting and general decoration — the plastering being already done and nearly dry. The hall will seat comfortably 1,800 persons — and with chairs in the aisles, upwards of 2,000 can be easily accommodated. The main body seats 1,100, tbe sides 300, and the galleries somewhat over 500. In a public meeting it is believed that at least 2,500 could be got in.

"The hall is lighted from the roof, not a gas jet being visible in any direction. This plan, while it produces the most superb effect, and has a soothing influence upon the eye, presenting in no place a glaring light, is by no means original in this instance. It has been adopted with the most signal success in the hall of the House of Representatives at Washington, and also in two or three music halls in the large Atlantic cities and in Europe. The lights are all above the lofty ceiling — between that and the roof — where a high space exists for the purpose of carrying off the heat and smoke: thus, no heated air can come in contact with the audience. A flood of illumination is thrown down into the building by means of reflectors, through twenty-five beautifully figured panels of cut glass, four feet by six each, and surrounded by elaborately painted Italian designs. The ventilation takes place through the vertical sides of three panels and under the hip of the roof directly over the purlines. The Hall has three entrances — the principal one being on Montgomery street, which is twelve feet in width, and is paved with variegated marble. The second is on Bush street— equally wide, and the third on Pine street. These three spacious entrances have doors opening outward, and afford easy and accessible means of exit. The entire house can be cleared in three minutes.

"The galleries are reached by two side flights of stairs leading up from the grand lobby to the upper entry. Wide folding doors — throwing outwards — admit to this part of the Hall. Between the two side galleries the distance is 57 feet. These are supported in a novel and ingenious manner. The gallery extends around two sides and across the front of the body of the Hell. The sides are nine feet wide, supported by iron brackets, extending through and down the outside of the wall two feet, made of heavy wrought iron. The front gallery is eighteen feet wide and supported by longitudinal timbers fourteen feet in depth, extending under both partitions forming the lobby; four principal timbers are six by fourteen and extend seven feet beyond the outer partition, with the timbers of the floor over the stores framed into them, then secured by iron bolts to the plate below. About five feet from the front rim of the gallery is a bridge truss entirely across the building, having for its abutment the brick building at each end, the whole constructed in the most substantial manner with iron bolts, with nuts and screws running through the entire width of truss, and built in the same manner as a railroad truss, for a span of one hundred feet.

"Thus, not a column or support of any kind obstructs the view, above or below, and the coup d'oeil of the grand ball, as it is entered, is the finest imaginable. There are three rows of seats on each side — twenty-five, in the front, to be upholstered with enamelled cloth of tastefully subdued colors. These colors, as well as those below, are well calculated to set off the dresses of ladies — a matter of no little moment to the fair patrons of grand dress concerts. Every seat in the house has been 'lined' to the stage, as that not one of an immense audience but can have an uninterrupted view. The lower floor, as we have said, will seat about fourteen hundred persons. The seats are constructed upon a new and ingenious plan, being made (somewhat like those of the New York Academy of Music) to shut up, thus giving ample room for ladies to pass those already seated, without any inconvenience, or rumpling of dresses — ample room space being allowed between the successive rows. The ends of these seats are of handsomely bronzed iron, and the upholstery made with a particular view to the comfort of an audience. The seats are to be. in the language of their manufacturer, 'comfortable as arm chairs.'

"A view has been had, all through the planning and erection of the Hall, to the science of acoustics — the best models in the world having been carefully considered to this end. The angles of the ceilings are everywhere curved, and a rounded, or bending, surface is gracefully apparent in all essential places. The general plan of the Hall is nearer an approach to the famous Musical Fund Hall in Philadelphia than any other we can call to mind.

"The crowning glory of the edifice is the stage, which, while it closely resembles that of the Musical Fund Hall, differs from it in some particulars. It is fifty-five feet in length, by eighteen in depth, and is five feet above the floor. It is spanned, or rather overarched by a beautiful elliptical half dome, rising about thirty feet above the stage, and presenting the concave side to the audience — thus throwing from its rounded polished surface the sound directly out, where it will reach the must remote parts with perfect distinctness. This also gives a splendid dome-like appearance to that end of tho hall, adding wonderfully to the effect and which is finely in keeping with the general style of the architecture. On each side of the stage is a spacious dressing room — having outlets both to the basements and to similar rooms below. The space under the stage is for stowing the seats when a ball is to be given. 

"The basement beneath the hall contains a supper room, 75 by 100— back of which is a kitchen with large oven and range, and six private supper rooms. In the front are ladies' reception rooms and parlors with all conveniences. The supper room, which will beat 1200 persons, is ventilated by fifteen flues in the walls, connecting with the roof. The walls of this basement are three feet in thickness, and built of stone and cement. The walls in the next story above are two feet thick. In the second story, fronting upon Montgomery street, is a ball-room 30 x 77 feet for parties not requiring tbe grand hall; but the two can be thrown into one, by connecting doors, for a Fair or other similar purpose. This lesser ball-room is lighted by seven large double windows — the ceiling being 16 feet high. The third story has been engaged for three years by the Independent Order of Knighthood, for a Lodge room. The hall, as elsewhere announced, will be inaugurated on the nights of Monday and Tuesday. August 6th and 7th. with two grand dress concerts, principally instrumental, at which an immense orchestra and a host of vocal talent will be engaged. The hall is a valuable addition to the facilities for great public occasions."

The opening night was described in an article that appeared in the August 9, 1860 Marysville Daily Appeal:

"NEW MUSIC HALL.— The new Music Hall in San Francisco, on Montgomery Street, between Bush and Pine, was inaugurated on Monday night by a grand musical festival. The HeraId says the Hall itself—with a few trifling exceptions that can be readily rectified—is the most perfect affair of the kind ever erected on the Pacific coast. The acoustic philosophy of design is almost comme il faut. There is no portion of the structure that the softest and most delicate sound cannot he distinctly heard in. This of itself is a great success. The seats are gorgeously roomy and comfortable."

 

Thanks to Art Siegel for locating these three articles. They can be seen on the website of the California Digital Newspaper Collection.

 

The venue is listed in the 1865 city directory as Platt's Music Hall, east side of Montgomery between Pine and Bush. For Platt's alphabetical listing, the directory noted that he was the proprietor of the New Music Hall and Eureka Theatre. The Eureka was a block away at 320 Montgomery. In the 1867 directory he's still listed as the Music Hall's proprietor but no longer for the Eureka.

 

In the 1868 city directory under Places of Amusement there's a listing for it as the German Theatre. The listing is "German Theatre, Platt's New Music Hall." The same section also has a listing for the venue as the Music Hall at 222 Montgomery. In the alphabetical section of the 1869 directory there's a listing for "German Theatre (Platt's Hall)."

 

Platt's Hall gets a listing in an 1882 "Guidebook and Street Manual." 

 

Closing: The date is unknown. It was still operating as late as 1885. 

The Mills Building was later on the site. It can be seen in image 19 of the 1899 Sanborn Map in the Library of Congress collection.

An 1865 view looking west on Bush toward Montgomery. The Platt's Hall building is just this side of the corner. The photo from the Martin Behrman Negatives Collection of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is on the Open SF History Project website.  

There's a bit of Platt's Hall on the very left in this view looking east along the north side of Bush St. toward Sansome St. The Platt's building has had an extension eastward to meet the Calvary Presbyterian Church. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. 

A c.1870 view of the building that appears on the Open SF History Project site. That's Montgomery St. on the left, Bush on the right. The church that had been east of Platt's Hall has been replaced with a new building. The photo is from the Martin Behrman Negatives Collection of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding it in the collection. 

Also on the Open SF History Project website see another version of the same photo labeled 1880. 

 

Platt's Hall is seen in this detail from image 13 of the 1887 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in the Library of Congress collection. That's Montgomery St. running up the left side of the image. The map notes "Stage and scenery - not used."

More information: Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller.  

John Lumea includes accounts of events at Platt's Hall in his article "The Sporting Emperor Norton" for the Emperor Norton Trust. 

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