Unfinished History. By the summer of the Mechanics Institute erected a Fair Building on a sandy hill on the outskirts of townโon Montgomery Street between Post and Sutter. The wood frame building had a canvas roof and was approximately 18, square feetโthen the largest building in California. The interior was cross-shaped, with four rooms that opened onto a central lobby. Beneath the dome was a bubbling fountain festooned with flowers and above, hanging from the rafters was a huge eagle with wings outstretchedโa symbol of the State's potential.
On display one found an astounding array of the State's natural resources, invention and ingenuity. There were four examples of billiard tables, cabinets filled with curiosities, samples of the state's minerals, a bountiful display of the State's finest flowers, fruits and vegetables; a fire engine, fancy articles such as needlework, fabrics and laces, and artโ from the Nahl brothers, William Jewitt, and many others.
Ultimately there would be 31 fairs between โ which would contribute greatly to the economy and industrial pursuits of the San Francisco Bay Area.
These fairs, and the rental of the fair buildings, were income generators for the Institute and supported its library and other services. The Mechanics Pavilion was the exhibition hall of the Mechanics Institute.
The next Mechanics Pavilion was built on Union Square in The old Mechanics Pavilion on the west side of Stockton Street between Post and Geary in , before it moved west to make way for the new Union Square.
