When you drove down California Street through San Francisco's Richmond District in the 1970s, one house made a stronger impression than most others. This was not because the house was an architectural marvel. It was a small, cookie-cutter Victorian. No, it stood out because it was painted black. From sidewalk to rooftop, every inch was coated in a uniform darkness. Its owner in those days was Anton LeVey, author of "The Satanic Bible"; and, years later, when it was about to be torn down, the San Francisco Chronicle would refer to it as "the building that once housed San Francisco's...
