It’s Simply Not True!

by Angela Woon, Communications Specialist and ghost myth buster

For years, we’ve heard rumors that BCP’s headquarters, the Irwin Center, San Francisco, is built over the Masonic cemetery (which is how Masonic Avenue got its name).

According to hearsay, a couple of donors have apparently shied away just because of our spooky locale. But we’re here to quash those rumors because it’s simply not true!

The Masonic Cemetery was actually located between Turk, Fulton, Parker and Masonic Streets, on what is now part of the University of San Francisco.  The Cemetery has since moved to the Woodland Memorial Park in San Mateo County.

What we do know, is that the Irwin Center location was previously the site of the not-as spooky Flying A gas station! (see pic above)

BCP moved to its current location on Masonic and Turk Street in April 1955, when we needed a bigger facility to accommodate our expanding operations. BCP, then-named the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank, initially operated out of the basement of a San Francisco mansion owned by the San Francisco Medical Society. Known as the Irwin Mansion, it was located on the northeast corner of Washington and Laguna streets, San Francisco.

So now that the truth has been revealed, we hope to see you donating blood on this historic site soon (you’d be a part of history!)! And there’s another thing we’re sure is no rumor…we always need donors to help save lives!
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