F I R S TP R E V337NEXTLAST

The Spite Fence, Nob Hill
On this spot in 1877 stood Charles Crocker's famous 'Spite Fence'. Crocker, one of the richest men in San Francisco bought all the land around his Renaissance mansion on top of Nob Hill. All the land except for a small adjacent lot belonging to an undertaker named Nicholas Yung. The stubborn Yung, refused to sell at any price and so in retaliation Crocker built a giant 40 foot wall around three sides of Yung's home, surrounding it and plunging the home into darkness. This Spite Fence soon became the symbol of the defiance of the common man against the multi-millionaires in early San Francisco. Crocker instantly became the butt of jokes, bawdy songs, and cartoons. In addition Yung hoisted a coffin, skull, and cross bones to the top of the fence, facing Crocker's home as a curse. Years later when Yung finally died, Crocker purchased the land from Yung's heirs and the fence was finally torn down. An Eadweard Muybridge PDF photo of the Spite fence can be downloaded here.
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