This year, TWB achieved a significant milestone by becoming a national historic site. This designation places it among a handful of properties across the country recognized for their significance in LGBTQ history, and only the third such site on the West Coast.
The designation stemmed from a dedicated effort spearheaded by Donna Graves, a public historian based in Berkeley. Since 2016, Graves had worked on the Women’s Building application after securing a grant from the National Park Service’s LGBTQ Heritage Initiative, a program specifically funding LGBT historic nominations. Her contributions extended beyond the application, as she also co-wrote a historic context statement for San Francisco’s LGBTQ community and contributed a chapter to the Park Service’s LGBTQ theme study.
The retrofit of our building was completed in 2000, funded by fundraising and a loan from the city at 5% interest. Remarkably, we paid off the loan five years early and established a Building Reserve to save money for the building’s future needs. Later, we created a Capital Replacement Chart to guide us on how much we need to save to maintain our building.
Currently $52,000 a year
2015-2018
Consuming 80% less energy compared to incandescent bulbs, the high efficiency and directional nature of LEDs seemed like the ideal choice for our building. Changing the lights throughout the entire building took four years. The project cost $30,000, and TWB applied for an SF Energy Watch grant of $1,753.
Cost: $30,000 USD
In 2012, the iconic MaestraPeace mural on San Francisco’s Mission District Women’s Building received a much-needed restoration. The original artists, returning after nearly two decades, were tasked with revitalizing this treasured artwork. Depicting the historical contributions of women worldwide, the MaestraPeace mural has been a landmark since its creation in 1994.
This restoration project was made possible by grant funding from the City and County of San Francisco and the local non-profit SF Beautiful. Their support ensures that the MaestraPeace mural will continue to inspire future generations as a testament to women’s achievements.
Cost: $130,000 USD
