Driving the news: After a year wrapped in scaffolding, the iconic Ghirardelli Square clock tower has re-emerged, fully restored and gleaming above San Francisco’s North Point and Larkin streets.
Details: Built in 1916, the clock tower hadn’t seen a roof replacement in over 100 years. Restoration crews used 2,080 slate tiles (about 6 tons), sourced from the original Slate Valley quarries in Vermont and New York.
Decorative dormers and the towers crow’s nest were rebuilt in exacting detail, requiring 4,850 hours. The tower now features LED bulbs along its peaks and newly mixed “Ghirardelli Gray” paint around its windows.
Why it matters: This project breathes new life into a beloved landmark that’s part of San Francisco’s cultural identity. For locals and tourists alike, the glowing clock tower acts as a beacon, and its return just in time for summer promises to boost foot traffic and energy in the area.
The big picture: Ghirardelli Square is one of the city’s most cherished historic sites. With its listing on the National Register of Historic Places and views stretching to Pacific Heights and Aquatic Park, restoring the tower was both a technical feat and a cultural investment.
Between the lines: Though the clock still ticks off-time, residents don’t seem to mind. One longtime neighbor called it “cleaner and authentic,” while another stopped mid-walk to admire it with her greyhounds.
What’s next: The clock's specialist is scheduled to reset all four faces, hopefully getting things ticking on time. Jamestown, the company behind the restoration, says this sets the tower up for another century.
