Black Point Historic Gardens will connect Fort Mason to the Waterfront.
Last month, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy revealed that work was underway to restore a “historic vision of San Francisco.” Black Point Historic Gardens, which is a patch of hillside behind the General’s Residence, has been restored in memory of San Francisco’s early residents. SFGATE reported that the park reopens on Wednesday, August 25, after 4 years of hard work from volunteers, the National Park Service, and the Parks Conservancy.
This terraced hillside, which receives a lot of sunlight but is sheltered from the wind, is a historic piece of land that hosted the native Ohlone tribes, Spanish and Mexican military eras, the Gold Rush, and more. Early San Francisco residents from the 1850s were the first to develop gardens and pathways there, but the 1-acre patch of land eventually became overgrown with invasive species and fenced off in the 1970s. See some historic pictures of the gardens here.
Volunteers and team members with the Parks Conservancy have cut back much of the overgrowth over the years, revealing a variety of original and native plants, including “Chasmanthe floribunda, Eucalyptus globulus, and the Rosa hybrid, a miniature rose.” As the team continues to develop the hillside, they will monitor the plants and continue introducing native species back into the landscape. They’ve also cleaned up the pathways so as to provide a connection between Fort Mason and the waterfront.
Keep an eye on Black Point Historic Gardens – now that it’s open, this impressive project will create a new and unique opportunity for San Franciscans to connect with their counterparts from the past.
Find Black Point Historic Gardens at 2 Fort Mason 11 in San Francisco, next to the Haskell House.
Featured image: Ryan Curran White via Parks Conservancy