12 Adler Specs 2 Editorial Photo

As the plaque describes, 12 Adler, or Specs was originally built as a Chinese temple, what is known as a Joss House. After being destroyed by the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, it was rebuilt, in 1911, being a speakeasy during prohibition. One of the more unique histories of the bar, in the early 1950`s it became the first, legally known bar owned by a lesbian, called Tommy`s Place. With topless dancing now league by the mid 1960`s, more and more of the North Beach bars were going topless, Richard Simmons, known as `Spec`, was getting frustrated with having a harder and harder time for a `Locals` bar, so he finally just opened his own.