Coit Tower was erected in 1933 with funds left by Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1843-1929), a wealthy socialite who loved to chase fires in the early days of the city's history. Coit was one of the more eccentric characters in the history of North Beach and Telegraph Hill, smoking cigars and wearing trousers long before it was socially acceptable for women to do so. She was an avid gambler and often dressed like a man in order to gamble in the males-only establishments that dotted North Beach.
Also known as the Coit Memorial Tower, it was dedicated to the volunteer firemen who had died in San Francisco's five major fires. Although an apocryphal story claims that the tower was designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle[due to Coit's affinity with the San Francisco firefighters of the day, the resemblance is coincidental.
In front of the tower is a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus placed in the park in 1957, donated by the city's Italian-American community.
This ¾" thick wooden keepsake is handcrafted in the U.S. It can set neatly on a shelf, wainscoting, or window/door trim to remind you of this special place you've visited or dream of visiting someday. A short description is written on the back. Look for Casper, our black cat mascot, taking up residence within the design. This is the sign of an authentic Cat’s Meow!
