[3][4] The Golden Era Building has been listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark since March 9, 1969;[5] and is part of the Jackson Square Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

[6] The Golden Era Building was constructed in 1852, built on the foundations of an 1849 structure that had been destroyed in the San Francisco Fire of 1851.

[3] In 1852, on the ground floor the space initially was occupied by Vernon Hall, which was rented out by fraternal societies and theatre troupes.

[3][8] Other tenants of the building included Thomas Day's gas fixtures store (around 1863);[9][10] and John Monahan and Co., a printing company that did work for the San Francisco Railway and North Pacific Railway (around 1858).

[2] The ground floor was later occupied by a crockery shop and a Chinese broom factory.