Former Masonic Temple Now New Conservatory Theater Center San Francisco, 5. Editorial Photo

As San Francisco was a small but growing city even before the Gold Rush of 1849, there were already Masons in this city, along with some of their buildings.Since the Gold Rush caused a population explosion in the city, this too included Masons, and the number of their buildings.By the 1960`s however, religions of all sorts and all around the world suddenly had drops in numbers, and this effected groups like the Masons also, and their numbers started dropping off. These dwindling numbers caused selloffs of buildings.One former Masonic Temple sits right on the corner of Van Ness and Oak Streets, San Francisco. Although the Masons are long gone, their symbolism remains. The building is now the home of the New Conservatory Theater Center, which itself is a not-for-profit theater company founded in 1981.As seen November 2021.