 |
| an antique postcard of Golden Gate Park in the 1890s |
At a recent guild meeting, Alan Wayne Martinez of the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission spoke to us about a plan to preserve Golden Gate Park as a "Local Historic District"
The Park is already listed in the National Register of Historic Places, but lacks protection locally.
Here is an excerpt from Golden Gate Park Preservation Alliance flier: "Why Golden Gate Park should be a Local Historic District"
The best qualities that Golden Gate Park embodies are timeless.
The Park is more than a collection of utilitarian functions and recreational activities – it offers a peaceful, bucolic and natural setting where people can participate in the social and solitary rites and activities that are an important part of our lives. To be able have a setting as beautiful as Golden Gate Park available to San Franciscans is a precious thing. The beauty and qualities that the Park brings to our lives is priceless and should not be turned into an organized and packaged experience.
 |
| sunlight on Stowe Lake, image via Wikipedia |
While there are comforts, there is a limit to the concessions made to comfort and nature is not entirely tamed in the Park: the meadows are not surrounded by benches, nor are they perfectly flat. While there are museums, playing fields and courts, for the most part people are expected to either be entertained by the contemplation of natural beauty or to bring one’s own recreational amusements. While there are a few places to buy food, you are mostly expected to bring your own food and drink to most parts of the park, just as you would bring your own food to any real wilderness. This distinction, that this park is not an urbanized plaza in the sense that Union Square is, or an assembly of sports spaces such as the Joe DiMaggio Playground and Pool, is part of the Park’s historic character and purpose.
Historic District Status is in harmony with the Golden Gate Master Plan.
The Master Plan calls for a “respect for the original design intent”, for the minimization of “the impacts that buildings and monuments have on the park landscape”, for the preservation of “open space of Golden Gate Park” and the maintenance and preservation of historic buildings and structures. Other policies speak to the preservation of the character of the varied woodlands and forested areas.
As San Francisco’s population and density of buildings increases, Golden Gate Park’s natural setting will become its most precious asset.
read the rest of the flier here: PDF
a comprehensive guide to Golden Gate Park is here
If you wish to write in support of the Golden Gate Park Historic District:
Mayor’s office: mayoredwinlee@sfgov.org
The Historic Preservation Commission: Commission Secretary: linda.avery@sfgov.org
The Recreation and Parks Commission: Commission Secretary: recpark.commission@sfgov.org
Please also cc your letter to the Golden Gate Park Preservation Alliance: ggppa@earthlink.net
