We are sad to report that after 35 years of continuous operation, California Pacific’s Victorian House Thrift Shop closed its doors this past May 2008, a casualty of the area’s sharp rent increases coupled with a decline in the number of volunteers available to manage it.

The Victorian House first opened its doors in 1973 in Pacific Heights. Created by the Presbyterian Ladies Auxiliary, the store sold donated clothing and household items, earning revenue for the Medical Center to invest toward a variety of improvements, including most recently the Child Development Center, a room in the Emergency Department, equipment for the Radiology Department and even a fountain at the Davies Campus Terrain Park.

When Pacific Presbyterian Hospital and Children’s Hospital of San Francisco merged in 1991, the Ladies Auxiliary also merged with the Children’s Hospital Service League to become The Guild of California Pacific Medical Center. The Guild would eventually run all three hospital gift shops as well as the Victorian House. The Thrift Shop’s contributions alone varied over the years from several thousand dollars to over $100,000 in some years, a proud accomplishment by a volunteer-run operation.

We bid a fond farewell to the Victorian House Thrift Shop and extend our sincere gratitude to all the wonderful volunteers, staff and patrons of this very special local institution. Thank you for 35 great years!

To learn more about the Guild of California Pacific Medical Center, and for information on joining the Guild, click here.