Richmond District, San Francisco, California
Encyclopedia
The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California
.
, "the Richmond" is bounded roughly by Fulton Street to the south, Arguello Boulevard and Laurel Heights
to the east, The Presidio National Park
and Lincoln Park
to the north, and Ocean Beach
and the Pacific Ocean
to the west. Park Presidio Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, divides the Richmond into the western "Outer Richmond" and the eastern portion, called the "Inner Richmond." Geary Boulevard
is a major east-west thoroughfare that runs through the Richmond and to downtown.
n immigrant and Japanese fine art dealer George Turner Marsh, one of the neighborhood's earliest residents, who called his home "the Richmond House" after Richmond
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia
. The district was originally an expanse of rolling sand dunes. It was developed initially in the late 19th century.
The district became legally called the "Park-Presidio District" according to a city law that was passed back in 1917. Neighborhood clubs and real-estate agents urged the Board of Supervisors to change the name to Park-Presidio District. Due to the lack of zip codes at the time, they were worried there would be confusion between the district and the city of Richmond
right across the bay. On January 27, 2009, Supervisor Eric Mar introduced his very first legislation that would rename the area north of Golden Gate Park and west of Arguello Boulevard as the Richmond District; basically, the area that is already commonly referred to as the Richmond District.
After the 1906 earthquake, development increased with the need to provide replacement housing. The last of the sand dunes and coastal scrub that once dominated the area were built over to create a street car suburb.
The Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war
brought many White Russian
, Orthodox Russian
refugees and immigrants into the neighborhood. Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
briefly made its headquarters at the Holy Virgin Cathedral which still stands today on Geary Boulevard.
In the 1950s, and especially after the lifting of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1965, Chinese immigrants
began to replace the ethnic Jewish and Irish-Americans who had dominated the district before World War II
. Chinese of birth or descent now make up nearly the majority of residents in the Richmond.
Adolph Sutro
was one of the first large-scale developers of the neighborhood. He is responsible for building the Sutro Baths
, along with his mansion on the western end of the district, near Ocean Beach
.
(on the south side of Golden Gate Park) are often collectively known as "The Avenues", because a majority of both neighborhoods are spanned by numbered north-south avenues. When the city was originally laid out, the avenues were numbered from 1st to 49th and the east-west streets were lettered A to X. In 1909, to reduce confusion for mail carriers, the east-west streets and 1st Avenue and 49th Avenue were renamed. The east-west streets were named after Spanish explorers in ascending alphabetical order in a southward direction. First Avenue was renamed Arguello Boulevard and 49th Avenue was renamed La Playa Street.
Today, the first numbered avenue is 2nd Avenue, starting one block west of Arguello Boulevard, and the last is 48th Avenue near Ocean Beach. The avenue numbers increase incrementally, with the exception that what would be 13th Avenue is called Funston Avenue named for Frederick Funston
, a U.S. Army general, famous for his exploits during the Spanish-American War
, the Philippine-American War
, and the 1906 Earthquake
.
Many of the east-west streets are still named after the Spanish
Conquistadors, but there are exceptions. The creation of Golden Gate Park
took out the streets previously lettered E through G. The former D Avenue became Fulton, which is the northern boundary of most of the Park. The southern boundary, the former H Avenue, was renamed Lincoln after President
Abraham Lincoln
.
North of the Park in the Richmond District, the streets are named Anza
, Balboa
and Cabrillo
. South of the neighborhood there are called, Hugo (Inner Sunset only), Irving, Judah
, Kirkham, Lawton
, Moraga
, Noriega, Ortega
, Pacheco, Quintara, Rivera, Santiago, Taraval, Ulloa
, Vicente
, Wawona
, and Yorba
. "X" was originally proposed to be Xavier, but was changed to Yorba due to a pronunciation controversy.
The commercial strip of restaurants, pubs, bars and shops along Clement Street between Arguello and Park Presidio Boulevard is referred to by some as "New Chinatown."
Successive waves of immigration from the former Soviet Union over the decades has made the Richmond home to a high concentration of Russian, Ukrainian, and Eastern European immigrants. The large Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Holy Virgin Cathedral is one of the largest buildings in the neighborhood and contains the remains and relics of John of Shanghai and San Francisco
. The area around the Cathedral is informally known as Little Russia
, and has many Russian bakeries, groceries, and restaurants.
The Richmond is also one of the last major enclaves of Irish Americans left in San Francisco's originally large Irish American population. Many recent Irish
immigrants also live in the area. Geary Boulevard and nearby Clement Street have many popular Irish pubs.
serves Richmond District. Alamo, Argonne, and Lafayette elementary schools are located in the Outer Richmond, and Sutro, Frank McCoppin and George Peabody are in the Inner Richmond. Presidio Middle School is located in the Outer Richmond District, while Roosevelt serves the Inner Richmond. George Washington High School
is located in the district.
The Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Branch and the Anza Branch of the San Francisco Public Library
serve the Richmond District. In 1930 voters approved a city charter amendment that would increase funding tot the library system so a new library could be built. John Reid, Jr., the architect, designed and landscaped the $57,117.29 new library, which was placed on the site of the former Lafayette School. On April 10, 1932 the Anza Library, the 17th municipal library branch, was dedicated. On May 2009 the library system closed the Anza Branch for repairs. A rebuilt library opened on June 18, 2011. Jing Mo Athletic Association lion dancers provided entertainment at the ceremony.
Major Parks in the Richmond include Lincoln Park and Golf Course in the Outer Richmond which also contains the California Palace of the Legion of Honor
. The former Fort Miley Military Reservation
is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
, a section of which contains a large Veterans Affairs Hospital. A small lake near Park Presidio and the Presidio Park forms part of the Mountain Lake Park
.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Location
Lying directly north of Golden Gate ParkGolden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, "the Richmond" is bounded roughly by Fulton Street to the south, Arguello Boulevard and Laurel Heights
Laurel Heights, San Francisco, California
Laurel Heights is a neighborhood to the south of the Presidio of San Francisco and east of the Richmond District. It is bordered by Geary Boulevard or the University of San Francisco campus to the south, Arguello Boulevard to the west, California Street to the north and Presidio Avenue to the east...
to the east, The Presidio National Park
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
and Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park (San Francisco)
Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California, was dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln in 1909 and includes about of the northwestern corner of the San Francisco Peninsula....
to the north, and Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Ocean Beach is a beach that runs along the west coast of San Francisco, California, United States, at the Pacific Ocean. It is adjacent to Golden Gate Park, the Richmond District and the Sunset District. The Great Highway runs alongside the beach, and Cliff House and the site of the former Sutro...
and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the west. Park Presidio Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, divides the Richmond into the western "Outer Richmond" and the eastern portion, called the "Inner Richmond." Geary Boulevard
Geary Boulevard
Geary Boulevard is a major east-west thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, beginning downtown at Market Street near Market Street's intersection with Montgomery Street, and running westbound through downtown, the Civic Center area, the Western Addition, and running for most of its length...
is a major east-west thoroughfare that runs through the Richmond and to downtown.
History
The district was given its name by AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n immigrant and Japanese fine art dealer George Turner Marsh, one of the neighborhood's earliest residents, who called his home "the Richmond House" after Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The district was originally an expanse of rolling sand dunes. It was developed initially in the late 19th century.
The district became legally called the "Park-Presidio District" according to a city law that was passed back in 1917. Neighborhood clubs and real-estate agents urged the Board of Supervisors to change the name to Park-Presidio District. Due to the lack of zip codes at the time, they were worried there would be confusion between the district and the city of Richmond
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
right across the bay. On January 27, 2009, Supervisor Eric Mar introduced his very first legislation that would rename the area north of Golden Gate Park and west of Arguello Boulevard as the Richmond District; basically, the area that is already commonly referred to as the Richmond District.
After the 1906 earthquake, development increased with the need to provide replacement housing. The last of the sand dunes and coastal scrub that once dominated the area were built over to create a street car suburb.
The Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
brought many White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
, Orthodox Russian
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
refugees and immigrants into the neighborhood. Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
briefly made its headquarters at the Holy Virgin Cathedral which still stands today on Geary Boulevard.
In the 1950s, and especially after the lifting of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1965, Chinese immigrants
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
began to replace the ethnic Jewish and Irish-Americans who had dominated the district before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Chinese of birth or descent now make up nearly the majority of residents in the Richmond.
Adolph Sutro
Adolph Sutro
Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro was the 24th mayor of San Francisco, and second Jewish mayor, serving in that office from 1894 until 1896...
was one of the first large-scale developers of the neighborhood. He is responsible for building the Sutro Baths
Sutro Baths
The Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned swimming pool complex in San Francisco, California, built in the late 19th century. The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned. The ruins may still be visited.- History :...
, along with his mansion on the western end of the district, near Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach
- Places :Australia* Ocean Beach * Ocean Beach New Zealand* Ocean Beach, Hawke's Bay* Ocean Beach, OtagoUnited States* Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, also community* Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California...
.
Attractions and characteristics
The Richmond District and the neighboring Sunset DistrictSunset District, San Francisco, California
The Sunset District is a large neighborhood in the west-central part of San Francisco, California, United States.-Location:The Sunset District is the largest district within the city of San Francisco. Golden Gate Park forms the neighborhood's northern border, and the Pacific Ocean forms its...
(on the south side of Golden Gate Park) are often collectively known as "The Avenues", because a majority of both neighborhoods are spanned by numbered north-south avenues. When the city was originally laid out, the avenues were numbered from 1st to 49th and the east-west streets were lettered A to X. In 1909, to reduce confusion for mail carriers, the east-west streets and 1st Avenue and 49th Avenue were renamed. The east-west streets were named after Spanish explorers in ascending alphabetical order in a southward direction. First Avenue was renamed Arguello Boulevard and 49th Avenue was renamed La Playa Street.
Today, the first numbered avenue is 2nd Avenue, starting one block west of Arguello Boulevard, and the last is 48th Avenue near Ocean Beach. The avenue numbers increase incrementally, with the exception that what would be 13th Avenue is called Funston Avenue named for Frederick Funston
Frederick Funston
Frederick N. Funston also known as Fred Funston, was a General in the United States Army, best known for his role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War...
, a U.S. Army general, famous for his exploits during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
, and the 1906 Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
.
Many of the east-west streets are still named after the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Conquistadors, but there are exceptions. The creation of Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
took out the streets previously lettered E through G. The former D Avenue became Fulton, which is the northern boundary of most of the Park. The southern boundary, the former H Avenue, was renamed Lincoln after President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
North of the Park in the Richmond District, the streets are named Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a Novo-Spanish explorer and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire.-Early life:...
, Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
and Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
. South of the neighborhood there are called, Hugo (Inner Sunset only), Irving, Judah
Theodore Judah
Theodore Dehone Judah was an American railroad engineer who dreamed of the first Transcontinental Railroad. He found investors for what became the Central Pacific Railroad...
, Kirkham, Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton was a highly respected U.S. Army officer who served with distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, the Spanish-American War and was the only U.S. general officer to be killed during the Philippine-American War...
, Moraga
José Joaquín Moraga
José Joaquín de la Santísima Trinidad Moraga was an early explorer to Alta California...
, Noriega, Ortega
José Francisco Ortega
José Francisco Ortega was soldier and early settler of California.-Early life:Ortega was born in 1734 at Zelaya, Guanajuanto, Mexico, where he worked as a warehouse clerk. In 1755, he enlisted and served at the Presidio at Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1759 Ortega married María Antonia...
, Pacheco, Quintara, Rivera, Santiago, Taraval, Ulloa
Francisco de Ulloa
Francisco de Ulloa was a Spanish explorer who explored the west coast of present-day Mexico under the commission of Hernán Cortés...
, Vicente
Vicente Yáñez Pinzón
Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was a Spanish navigator, explorer, and conquistador, the youngest of the Pinzón brothers...
, Wawona
Wawona, California
Wawona is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California. It is located east of Mariposa, at an elevation of 3999 feet...
, and Yorba
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
. "X" was originally proposed to be Xavier, but was changed to Yorba due to a pronunciation controversy.
The commercial strip of restaurants, pubs, bars and shops along Clement Street between Arguello and Park Presidio Boulevard is referred to by some as "New Chinatown."
Successive waves of immigration from the former Soviet Union over the decades has made the Richmond home to a high concentration of Russian, Ukrainian, and Eastern European immigrants. The large Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
Holy Virgin Cathedral is one of the largest buildings in the neighborhood and contains the remains and relics of John of Shanghai and San Francisco
John of Shanghai and San Francisco
Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco also John the Wonderworker was a noted Eastern Orthodox ascetic and hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia who was active in the mid-20th century...
. The area around the Cathedral is informally known as Little Russia
Little Russia
Little Russia , sometimes Little or Lesser Rus’ , is a historical political and geographical term in the Russian language referring to most of the territory of modern-day Ukraine before the 20th century. It is similar to the Polish term Małopolska of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
, and has many Russian bakeries, groceries, and restaurants.
The Richmond is also one of the last major enclaves of Irish Americans left in San Francisco's originally large Irish American population. Many recent Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrants also live in the area. Geary Boulevard and nearby Clement Street have many popular Irish pubs.
Education
The San Francisco Unified School DistrictSan Francisco Unified School District
San Francisco Unified School District , established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California...
serves Richmond District. Alamo, Argonne, and Lafayette elementary schools are located in the Outer Richmond, and Sutro, Frank McCoppin and George Peabody are in the Inner Richmond. Presidio Middle School is located in the Outer Richmond District, while Roosevelt serves the Inner Richmond. George Washington High School
George Washington High School (San Francisco)
George Washington High School is a public high school in Richmond District, San Francisco, California. The school is a part of the San Francisco Unified School District...
is located in the district.
The Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Branch and the Anza Branch of the San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
serve the Richmond District. In 1930 voters approved a city charter amendment that would increase funding tot the library system so a new library could be built. John Reid, Jr., the architect, designed and landscaped the $57,117.29 new library, which was placed on the site of the former Lafayette School. On April 10, 1932 the Anza Library, the 17th municipal library branch, was dedicated. On May 2009 the library system closed the Anza Branch for repairs. A rebuilt library opened on June 18, 2011. Jing Mo Athletic Association lion dancers provided entertainment at the ceremony.
Parks and recreation
Sutro Heights Park is located in Richmond District. Also in the Richmond District is Rochambeau playground. Located between 24th and 25th Avenue, the playground boasts tennis and basketball courts, as well as play structures.Major Parks in the Richmond include Lincoln Park and Golf Course in the Outer Richmond which also contains the California Palace of the Legion of Honor
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
The California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a fine art museum in San Francisco, California...
. The former Fort Miley Military Reservation
Fort Miley Military Reservation
The Fort Miley Military Reservation, in San Francisco, California sits on Point Lobos , one of the outer headlands on the southern side of the Golden Gate...
is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
, a section of which contains a large Veterans Affairs Hospital. A small lake near Park Presidio and the Presidio Park forms part of the Mountain Lake Park
Mountain Lake Park
Mountain Lake Park is a San Francisco park in the Richmond District neighborhood, located north of the intersection of Lake and Funston. It was designed by engineer William Hammond Hall in the late 19th century, circa 1875. Hall also designed Golden Gate Park and was significantly influenced by...
.
External links
- Ocean Beach Bulletin, Neighborhood news organization covering the outer Richmond District
- Richmond SF Blog - news, info, events about the Richmond District of San Francisco
- "Anza Renovation." San Francisco Public LibrarySan Francisco Public LibraryThe San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
. - "Richmond Renovation." San Francisco Public LibrarySan Francisco Public LibraryThe San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
. - Park Presidio Neighbors Association
- Boulevard Neighbors BNUG
- Richmond district guided photo tour
- Photo of Richmond neighborhood at 19th Avenue and Geary Blvd.
- San Francisco's street naming controversy of 1909 - the story of how Anza through Yorba streets—and the numbered Avenues—got their names
- The Friends of Mountain Lake Park
- Central Richmond District Yahoo! Group
- Photo-set of about 70 images taken in the Richmond
- http://www.district1supervisor.org
