In 1902 , she and her sister , Theresa Fair Oelrichs , began construction of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco but sold their interests in 1906 , days before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . However , following the death of her husband , Tessie Fair Oelrichs repurchased the property in 1908 , retaining ownership until 1924 . In 1910 , Birdie Vanderbilt set up the Virginia Fair Legacy Fund that rebuilt and endowed the Holy Family Day Home , a Roman Catholic school residence for children in San Francisco that had been damaged by the 1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Virginia Fair Vanderbilt