~About~
The Healing Arts Building
~Our Vision~
WE ARE COMMITTED TO CARE
We are dedicated to the preservation of this historic building and have deep reverence for the land.
We work daily to tend to the building and gardens in hope that it will be a resource for generations to come.
We care for our tenants and value the services that they extend to the community.
We know that small business is essential to a vibrant community and believe that The Healing Arts Building is a unique and special place for people to thrive.
As many of us are descendants of settlers, immigrants, or descendants of those forcefully brought to this continent, we at The Healing Arts Building recognize and remember that this building on the corner of Bush & Octavia Street in San Francisco occupies traditional, unceded Ramaytush Ohlone (rah-my-toosh oh-loh-nee) lands. May we continue to hold the Ramaytush Ohlone and all Indigenous communities in our hearts and never forget their painful history as we continue the work on healing and liberation for all.
In the SF Bay Area, we encourage you to make voluntary financial contributions to the Yunakin Land Tax and the Shuumi Land Tax. Read more from the Association for Ramaytush Ohlone on the SF Peninsula, and the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust in the East Bay.
~Land Acknowledgement~
~Past, Present, Future~
The land upon which the building sits is rich with history and supports the services that our community offers. The building and garden were thoughtfully designed for beauty and continues its legacy as a space of health and healing.
Mary Ellen Pleasant
The Healing Arts Building at 1801 Bush Street in San Francisco stands on land rich with history—land once home to one of the most influential and enigmatic women in 19th-century America: Mary Ellen Pleasant. Often referred to as the “Mother of Civil Rights in California,” Pleasant was a self-made millionaire, abolitionist, entrepreneur, and fearless advocate for justice during a time when both race and gender sharply limited opportunity.
Born around 1814, likely into slavery in Georgia or Virginia, Pleasant eventually made her way to Nantucket, Massachusetts, where she worked as a bonded servant to an abolitionist family. Her early years immersed her in the principles of freedom and enterprise. She married James Smith, a wealthy former plantation owner and abolitionist, and together they used their resources to support the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom.
After Smith's death, Pleasant traveled west to San Francisco during the Gold Rush, where she strategically invested in laundries, boarding houses, restaurants, and real estate—often operating through white proxies due to the racism of the era. She amassed significant wealth, which she used to quietly fund civil rights work. Most famously, she supported John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry and later successfully sued San Francisco’s streetcar companies for racial discrimination, helping to desegregate public transit in the city.
At the height of her influence, Pleasant built a grand 30-room Italianate mansion at the corner of Bush and Octavia Streets. She lived there with her business partner Thomas Bell and his family, running her empire and hosting gatherings of the social elite, while continuing to advocate for racial and economic justice. The house, sometimes called the "House of Mystery," was a symbol of her power and defiance in an era that tried to erase Black success.
Though the mansion was demolished in the 1920s, the site was eventually transformed into a medical center and is now the Healing Arts Building—home to holistic health practitioners and caregivers. In this way, the property continues to embody Pleasant’s enduring values of healing, empowerment, and community care.
Just outside the building, Mary Ellen Pleasant Memorial Park honors her legacy. The small green space includes six towering eucalyptus trees she planted herself and a plaque that reads, “She was a friend of John Brown.” It's a quiet but powerful tribute to a woman who shaped the city—and history—with determination, brilliance, and uncompromising integrity.
Greens’ Eye Hospital 1928 - 1964
The building as it sits, was built in 1928 by the Green brothers and designed by architect Frederick Meyer. It was noted in an Architect and Engineer article in 1928 as a building “that invites one to enter, speaks little of hospitals but rather of the quiet dignity and comfort surrounding a conservative hotel.”
The Beale Brothers 1965 - 1978
Purchased by brothers John and Pax along with their mother Nellie, the building continued its medical legacy under the “San Francisco Eye and Ear Hospital”, “Cathedral Hill Medical Center” and “Cathedral Hill Professional Building”. It was home to the first cataract surgery and developed advances in eye operating techniques and equipment.
Cathedral Hill Medical Center
& Professional Building 1978 - 2003
Pax ushered in the Cathedral Hill Medical Center and captained tremendous growth and innovation for years to come. Worth noting, one of the country’s first jogging clubs was founded by Pax under the name “Cathedral Hill Medical Center Joggers’ Club”
Pax was a remarkable individual who inspired many through his life’s work, including his passion for weight training and heart health.
The Healing Arts Building 2003 - Present
Supporting Pax’s idea to develop the building into a space for various professionals, Sophie, Pax’s partner & wife refined the vision to what we now know as The Healing Arts Building. With a shared passion for fitness and health, Sophie & Pax dedicated decades to developing a vibrant community of tenants. Sophie spearheaded the revitalization of the gardens and developed a curated selection of tenants that offered a unique array of healing services. Her vision is the foundation of how the building operates today and moves into the future.
Our goal is to maintain and preserve The Healing Arts Building for generations to come. We see the value in our tenants’ services and are committed to maintaining a space for individuals and small businesses to exist in San Francisco.
