Twin Peaks Tavern, Sam Jordan's Bar, Named San Francisco Landmarks

San Francisco has one more reason to drink tonight.

Both Twin Peaks Tavern and Sam Jordan's Bar were declared historic landmarks today following a vote by the Board of Supervisors. The iconic establishments were recognized for their importance to San Francisco's gay and African American histories, respectively.

The Historic Preservation Committee began seeking official LGBT landmark status for Twin Peaks Tavern back in September. The bar was the first in the country to install floor-to-ceiling windows, instead of the blacked-out panes that plagued LGBT bars in the 1970s.

“Twin Peaks Tavern represents the LGBT community’s proud movement from out of the shadows and into the open,” District Supervisor Scott Wiener said in a press release. “Today it is a gathering place where the young, old and everyone in between joins together to celebrate our community.”

Sam Jordan's Bar became a meeting place for the African American community in the 1960s. Owner Sam Jordan was a Navy veteran and the city's first black mayoral candidate. The Bayview establishment provided a space for African American businessmen, musicians and politicians to come together. Jordan died in 2003, but his two children continue to run the bar.

"Jordan himself spearheaded a community-minded attitude that distinguished both himself and the bar," stated the landmark proposal. "Jordan and his bar fostered activities that strengthen the community fabric of the Bayview area."

Sam Jordan's Bar will join the Madame C.J. Walker House and the Leonard/Poole House as the city's only landmarks associated with African American history.