Home of Dashiell Hammett and Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett (1896 -1961) lived in this building from 1926 until 1929 whe he wrote his first three novels Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), and The Maltese Falcon (1930). Sam Spade's apartment in The Maltese Falcon is modeled on Hammett's, which was on the northwest corner of the fourth floor.

This website [referenced 27/5/12] covers the plaque unveiling on 19th March 2005: http://www.mikehumbert.com/Dashiell_Hammett_21_FOLUSA_Plaque.html