Coit Tower

1:750 scale miniature paper model, about 3.5 inches tall

Heiress Lillie Hitchcock Coit left a third of her estate for a project to beautify the city of San Francisco. Architect Arthur Brown Jr. designed this streamlined art-deco interpretation of a classical column which was completed in 1933 atop Telegraph Hill. The first floor and staircase are lined with frescoes by WPA artists depicting modern urban life in the 1930s.

Read more:

• A biography of Lillie Hitchcock Coit on the Museum of San Francisco
• A history of the painting of the murals at the tower
• The story of Coit Tower on FoundSF
• SFGTV film showing the history and murals of Coit Tower
• The 2003 documentaryThe Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill chronicles musician Mark Bittner's relationship with the colorful birds living near the tower

How to build Coit Tower Order the postcard