Lillie Coit and the Iconic San Francisco Tower Named After Her
Lillie Coit is part of a cast of eccentric characters that occupy various places in San Francisco history. During the earliest years of the city, its large, wooden structures would often catch fire unexpectedly. There was no fire department to speak of at that time, so volunteers like Lillie would “chase” down fires in an attempt to extinguish them.
She was a wealthy socialite who dressed like a man, had a thirst for gambling and fought fires from an early age. She witnessed a struggling fire engine attempting to ascend Telegraph Hill to respond to a call. She threw her school books down and ran to assist. From that moment forth, she was dedicated to fire prevention.
When she died, her fortune of $118,000 was willed to the city of San Francisco, “to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which [she had] always loved”. Two memorials were created in honor of Coit. Coit Tower, which can be seen throughout parts of San Francisco is only one of them.
There is a rumor that the structure, which resembles a fire hose nozzle, was created to honor her contributions to fire fighting in the city but the reality is that the building was coincidentally made that way.
Lillie is considered the matron saint of firefighters in San Francisco, and her tower watches over the city the same way that she once did.
About the Author: Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or LinkedIn page.
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