Neptune Society Columbarium
Baroque
Noted architect, Bernard J.S. Cahill (1866-1944), designed this magnificent columbarium in 1898. Cahill was especially well known for his designs of funerary architecture. This example is certainly one of his highest achievements, even though he was only 32 years old when he received the design commission. Cahill’s masterpiece is a classic Beaux Arts design, using elements of Baroque, Classical Revival and English neoclassicism.
The columbarium has, in recent years, been given a splash of color by famed San Francisco colorist, Bob Buckter, known for his colorful paint schemes used on many of San Francisco’s elegant Victorian homes.
The three floors of the columbarium contain 4500 niches for cremains (cremated remains). There are only a couple hundred niches left. The Neptune Society Columbarium is the only site within the city limits of San Francisco where a civilian’s remains may be interred. Today, the he military has a limited amount of space available for military personnel at the Presidio, which is in the city limits, but is not subject to San Francisco’s law banning cemeteries.
The Neptune Society of Northern California, a division of Sentinel Cremation Society Inc. operates the columbarium.
Text and photo © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”” street=”1 Loraine Court” city=”San Francisco” state=”California” zip=”94118″]
