Much like San Francisco itself, Central Tower is an icon that has undergone many reinventions. Erected in 1897 by entrepreneur and civic leader Claus Spreckels, the skyscraper was one of the first in the city, home to the San Francisco Call newspaper, and celebrated as the city's tallest building for nearly a quarter century. After the 1906 earthquake, the Tower not only stood unscathed, it became a symbol for the city's reconstruction. In 1938, the building took on new life through a masterful Art Deco refurbishment, which included bold graphic vertical lines added to the tower's façade.