Coit

Coit may refer to more than one topic. It is a surname and is best known in connection with Coit Tower, a San Francisco landmark on Telegraph Hill.

Coit Tower was completed in the 1930s and funded by a bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a philanthropist who supported the city’s beautification efforts. The tower was designed by architect Arthur Brown Jr. in the Art Deco style. It stands about 210 feet tall and offers panoramic views of San Francisco and the bay from an observation deck. Inside, the walls feature murals created in the 1930s by artists funded through programs associated with the Public Works of Art Project as part of the federal New Deal art programs. The tower is administered as a city landmark by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1835–1929) was an American socialite and benefactor who left funds to the City of San Francisco for its beautification and public works. Her bequest played a key role in the creation of the tower, and the name Coit has since become closely tied to this landmark.

Coit is an English-language surname. It is borne by various individuals and families and has become part of place names and institutions through historical associations and philanthropy in the United States. In addition to Coit Tower, the name appears in other contexts related to people who carry the surname or its historical legacy.