Haunting of Hotel Union Square in San Francisco, California

How many buildings do you pass each day?

Each month?

Each year?

I couldn't find a consensus on the number of buildings in the world—somewhere between 100 million and 1 billion, but every single one has a history of its own.

Have you ever wondered about the history of any buildings you pass?

If you go digging, you may be surprised at what you find.

History of Hotel Union Square

Like most haunted places, the hotel we'll explore below is situated in an area with a rough history. Some believe that dark historical events can play a role in paranormal activity. There is evidence of human habitation in the area of modern-day San Francisco dating back to at least 3000 BCE. The Yelamu tribe of the Ramaytush people lived in small villages among sand dunes and rugged terrain—a far cry from today's towering metropolis. When the first Europeans arrived in 1769, the area was called "Ahwaste" or "place at the bay."

Spanish colonists squatted there and set up a mission system along the California coast, directly leading to the genocide of the Ramaytush people, cascading into losing their language and culture. In further efforts to wipe out indigenous peoples, Juan Bautista de Anza established the Presidio of San Francisco in 1776. Later that year, Mission San Francisco de Asís (aka Mission Dolores) was founded by Padre Francisco Palóu. All this turned into displacement, disruption, and subjugation of Indigenous peoples, forced conversion, forced hard labor, cultural assimilation, loss of autonomy, and a massive Indigenous death toll.

Colonialism. Fun.

In 1804, the province of Alta California was created, including Yerba Buena—the former name of San Francisco. The name was officially changed to San Francisco in 1847 to honor St. Francis of Assisi. San Francisco's prime location by the bay made it perfect for maritime activities, which laid the groundwork for its growth. The Gold Rush (starting in 1848) brought a wave of people seeking fortune, transforming the small settlement into a rapidly expanding urban center.

San Francisco's original name, "Yerba Buena," means "Good Herb" in Spanish, referring to the wild mint (Clinopodium douglasii) that grew in the area. This herb was valued for its medicinal properties and used to treat stomachaches, headaches, fevers, and anxiety. Its leaves were brewed into a soothing tea, and its fresh, minty aroma was both invigorating and calming, making it a favorite among early settlers and indigenous peoples.

At the heart of San Francisco lies Market Street. Market Street played a crucial role in San Francisco's development and commerce and still does today. Designed as a grand boulevard by Jasper O'Farrell in 1847, it quickly became the city's main hub, facilitating all sorts of activity, both commercial and social. As the city modernized, cable and street cars ran along Market Street.

"O'Farrell had a narrow escape from the fury of a pioneer mob, so quickly and so easily formed in that distant day. When the engineer had completed his map of Market Street and the southern part of the city, what was regarded as the abnormal width of the proposed street, excited part of the populace and an indignation meeting was held to protest against the plan as a wanton disregard for rights of land owners; and the mob, for such it was, decided for lynch law. A friend warned O'Farrell, before the crowd had dispersed. He rode with all haste to North Beach, took a boat for Sausalito, and thence put distance behind him on fast horses in relays until he reached his retreat in Sonoma. He found it discreet to remain some time in the country before venturing to return to the city."
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— Prendergast, Thomas Francis (1942). Forgotten Pioneers: Irish leaders in early California.

In 1906, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 reshaped San Francisco. The event and subsequent fires destroyed large parts of the city, including the downtown area and parts of Market Street. In response to the disaster, the city embarked on a massive rebuilding effort, and two years later, in 1908, the Golden West Hotel was opened just a few steps away from where Market Street intersects with Powell Street.

Prohibition & Hollywood Connections

Shortly after the Golden West Hotel opened, Prohibition hit. The official Prohibition Era spanned from 1920 to 1933. There was a nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. It's kind of crazy to think about it now and to even put ourselves in the shoes of people living during Prohibition because of how ubiquitous alcohol is today all over the world, but pause here for a second to imagine that tomorrow, alcohol is outright banned everywhere. It's easy to imagine the resulting massive upheaval and chaos.

San Francisco became an epicenter for underground activities, with speakeasies and jazz clubs flourishing despite the legal restrictions. The Fillmore District, North Beach, and the Tenderloin were hotspots for jazz enthusiasts. Clubs like Purcell's and the Club Flamingo hosted legendary musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton, Billie Holiday, and Joe "King" Oliver. The allure of illicit drinking and the thrill of jazz music created a spirited (...get it?) nightlife, turning areas like Market Street into bustling cultural centers. These speakeasies were often hidden behind unassuming facades, providing a secretive yet lively atmosphere for those seeking to escape the constraints of Prohibition—and there were countless people trying to escape the constraints.

Prohibition: A Perfect Storm
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​Alcohol was banned during Prohibition due to a mix of social, moral, and political factors. Reformers blamed alcohol for social issues like crime and poverty, and religious groups saw it as morally corrupting. The women's suffrage movement linked alcohol to domestic abuse and economic waste. Anti-immigrant sentiment targeted the "drinking cultures of immigrants." Economic arguments suggested banning alcohol would improve worker productivity. World War I fueled anti-German sentiment, targeting German-owned breweries. The temperance movement's political influence ultimately led to the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, enforcing Prohibition.

The Hotel Golden West made its mark during all this with its own speakeasy called The Golden Bubble. It was a large speakeasy located in the basement of the Golden West Hotel, one that was quite popular at the time.

In addition to the music, nightlife, and illicit booze, San Francisco's hotels drew big names from the entertainment industry in Hollywood. The Golden West Hotel became a regular spot for Dashiell Hammett (a famous author) and Lillian Hellman (a renowned playwright). The two supposedly stayed in room 207 of the hotel.

Dashiell Hammett, known for his hard-boiled detective novels such as "The Maltese Falcon," often drew inspiration from the city's vibrant and sometimes seedy atmosphere. Lillian Hellman, a prominent playwright and screenwriter, was known for her works such as "The Children's Hour" and her intense political activism. The two shared a passionate and often tumultuous relationship that began in the early 1930s and lasted until Hammett died in 1961. Despite never marrying, they maintained a deep and complex bond, with Hellman caring for Hammett during his final years and through his battles with illness and alcoholism.

In 1935, the Golden West Hotel was adorned with Egyptian-style mosaics by renowned artist Helen Bell Bruton. Her intricate tile murals enhanced the hotel's charm and reflected the Art Deco movement of the era. Bruton's artwork became a key feature of the hotel for decades after.

In 1985, Golden West Hotel was purchased by Personality Hotels and rebranded as Hotel Union Square as part of a broader effort to preserve historical buildings while adapting them for modern use. Even today, there are stories about the spirits that wander its halls.

Hauntings and Legends

Room 207, which I mentioned above, where Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman frequented, has been a hotbed of paranormal activity for years. Dashiell Hammet died in 1961, followed by Lillian Hellman in 1984, but Lillian Hellman's spirit is believed to haunt this room, eternally waiting for Hammett's return. Guests frequently report seeing her apparition, often described as a sorrowful woman in white, pacing the area as if expecting someone to arrive. Some people have reported that doors in room 207 move on their own, opening and closing by themselves during the night.

Most recently, a young Scot traveling with his grandmother confided to Steele that a female ghost appeared to him in Room 207. "She's friendly -- too friendly. I was up most of the night closing the bathroom door, then reclosing it. She wanted to come out and wake up my grandmother."
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Hotelier Yvonne Lembi-Detert tries to avoid 207. "I turn my back there and things appear out of nowhere," she says. "Nothing scary -- the last object was a Kleenex -- but it still spooked me."
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— IS THERE A SPIRIT HERE TONIGHT? By Antoinette May @ SFGATE​

Guests also have reported hearing soft whispers, footsteps, and knocking sounds, and some have described hearing what sounds like distant conversations or a woman's voice murmuring. There are also accounts of sudden drops in temperature and cold spots that move around the room.

The hotel was built a long time ago, but it's also worth mentioning reports of electronic devices malfunctioning, flickering lights, televisions turning on and off, and alarm clocks resetting and going off at odd times.

The ghosts in the hotel are supposed to be friendly, which is quite unusual for hauntings. If you encounter one there, you might have quite an experience.

Hotel Union Square as of July 2024

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if anyone will have a chance to spend time with the ghosts of Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett. I couldn't find the current status of the hotel. The website is down, the phone number no longer works, and the last reviews of the place are from 2022. At some point, they'd made over room 207 to officially be the Dashiell Hammett suite, complete with an old typewriter like the one he used and decorations from his stories.

I've tried to contact the owner of the hotel (unsuccessfully, so far), and I'm still on the lookout for more information. So, if anyone reading this knows anything about it, I'd love to hear more.

Buildings like this always make me wonder about all those places we pass without a second glance. What's their history like? What ghosts reside there?

Relevant & Related

• Read more about The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and see actual photos from the fires of 1906. Even more online at the San Francisco Public Library.
• Don't miss a wealth of information at the Dashiell Hammett website by Mike Humbert.
• Learn more about the scandalous Lillian Hellman (You know you want to. Her first play was considered too scandalous for the Pulitzer prize.)
• Check out the famous novel The Maltese Falcon and a film trailer of the 1941 film The Maltese Falcon.
• Even more reading in The Dashiell Hammett MEGAPACK®: 20 Classic Stories. (Why is MEGAPACK® a registered trademark?)
• You can also see a short documentary about The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake with a lot of footage from the time. There's another nearly hour-long documentary with even more: The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Documentary.
• Listen to a piece of history at the Smithsonian Archives of America Art in An interview of Helen and Margaret Bruton conducted by Lewis Ferbraché on 1964 December 4 for the Archives of American art New Deal and the Arts Project.
• Another incredible piece of history was unearthed with never-before-seen footage of Market Street in the early 1900s. Even more footage around the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake here.

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• ​Haunting of the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada​
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• ​Old Book Ghost of Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Illinois​
• ​Lydia's Ghost at Red Onion Saloon​
• ​Restless Spirits of Bachorza Manor in Poland