SF’s landmark repeatedly vandalized

The 101-year-old Albert S. Samuels Clock at 856 Market St. has been a frequent target of vandals and taggers. It is broken yet again, something that happens about every two weeks, says James Flood, who’s been paying to repair the designated city landmark for more than 20 years. less The 101-year-old Albert S. Samuels Clock at 856 Market St. has been a frequent target of vandals and taggers. It is broken yet again, something that happens about every two weeks, says James Flood, who’s been ... more Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close SF’s landmark repeatedly vandalized 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A repeated target of vandals and graffiti artists, a historic 101-year-old clock in downtown San Francisco just can’t seem to keep ticking.

The blue-and-gold Albert S. Samuels clock stands just outside of 856 Market St. in the middle of the busy sidewalk, a taste of old San Francisco in the heart of the city’s downtown district.

Twenty feet tall, the eight-faced clock offers passersby the time and tourists a quick photo-op. But recently, city-goers are more likely to find it either damaged or boarded up to protect it from vandals.

The clock has been an increasingly frequent target, said James Flood, who owns the nearby Flood Building and has been paying to repair the clock for more than 20 years whenever it breaks on its own or others break it. The clock has long been victim to occasional damage, but now it happens nearly constantly.

“It’s nuts,” Flood said. “It used to be two to three times a year, now it’s once every two weeks.

On Monday, the clock was frozen at 9:16, meaning it gave the right time twice that day. The clock’s ornate body was wrapped in tape, which holds a piece of wood that covers where its glass was smashed.

The clock was purchased by Samuels in 1915 to put outside his jewelry store, which was at the site of the San Francisco Centre. When Samuels’ store moved across the street nearly 30 years later, the clock moved with it. It has remained there since.

The clock has marked decades of city history and been in various states of disrepair over the years. It stopped working altogether in 1990, and sat broken until a group of community members, led by Jack Wittenmyer, endeavored to restore it in 1995.

It took $10,000 to fix the clock and the restoration was completed and celebrated in 2000. The clock then became a target for vandals.

Even though the clock is a designated city landmark, it is private property, Flood said. Whoever owns the building it stands in front of owns the clock. It is up to the building owner to provide upkeep — a task that Flood said the owner has historically shirked. So Flood volunteered to assume control of the maintenance duties.

Wittenmyer voluntarily fixes the clock on his own time with parts and money that Flood provides. He said he fixed the clock less than a week and a half ago, after vandals broke one of its eight glass faces and marked the clock with graffiti. He soon learned that the clock had been damaged yet again. He’ll be heading to Market Street after work Wednesday to fix it again.

“Most support the idea the clock is a San Francisco landmark. What they don’t understand is landmark status doesn’t obligate the city to do anything,” Wittenmyer said.

“People call 311 and want to report that there’s something wrong with the clock. That’s like calling 311 because your car has a broken windshield.”

Flood said he used to call the police to report that the clock had been damaged, but he no longer bothers.

“We’ve never caught anybody,” he said.