1881 Pine Street

1. 1914

   The Buddhist Church of San Francisco, which grew out of a Young Men's Buddhist Association formed in 1898 and took its name in 1905, moved here in 1914 from 1617 Gough Street. San Francisco became the headquarters of the Buddhist Mission of North America the same year.

   Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
2. 1935

   A new temple was begun in 1935, paid for by members and by districts outside San Francisco: the San Francisco Japanese Carpenter's Association built it to a design by the architect Gentoko Shimamoto, with a dome, or stupa, holding relics of the Buddha given by the King of Siam.

   Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
3. 1937

   Built.

4. 1942

   The Buddhist church's premises stored household belongings for interned Japanese American families during the war, and part of the building served as a hostel into 1946.

   Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
5. August 3, 1958

   Photographed, showing the Butsu Shari Japanese Church.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
6. August 19, 1964

   Photographed, showing the Butsu Shari Japanese Church.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
7. Sep 1986

   Permit 8611582 $$$ $3,000

   Remove loose & broken stucco; check for damages.

8. Oct 1986

   Permit 8612403 $$$ $250

   Replace exist wood exit doors with new solid core birch door.

9. Jul 2002

   Issued Permit 200207171639 $$$ $28,000

   Reroofing.

10. 2009

    Recorded in the city's 2009 survey of Japantown as a church in a Classical style, among the older churches clustered near the Pine and Octavia intersection.

    Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
11. Feb 2010

    Issued Permit 201002166566 $$$ $5,000

    4th floor-replace 2 windows in kind. existing single paned aliminum sliding windows to be replace with double paned insulated vinyl clad windows. no change in size. windows not visible from street.

12. Jun 2011

    Permit 201106097819 $$$ $5,000

    Remove/dispose of ceiling areas. install 5/8" sheetrock.

13. May 2017

    Permit 201705247568 $$$ $61,000

    Reroofing.

14. Apr 2022

    Issued Permit M1227528 $$$ $244

    Per assessor's record, document address 442 austin st to three units apartmen.

15. Aug 2023

    Issued Permit 202308013408 $$$ $27,000

    Reroofing.

2 nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits are omitted from the timeline. The city's Japantown context statement puts the start of the new temple in 1935; the assessor's roll and Planning's historic resource survey both record 1937.