1906 Earthquake Refugee Cottages

These Cottages are on display at the Presidio, across from the Fire Station, and behind the Museum.
They're furnished with a queen size bed, stove, desk, dresser, chamber pot and rocking chair.
Originally they were part of Camp Richmond, which was built on Park-Presidio. Today Park-Presidio is not a park, but a six lane thoroughfare.


From the Western neighborhoods Project:
"Earthquake refugee cottages, or "shacks" were built by the Department of Lands and Buildings of the Relief Corporation to house refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.

"5,610 cottages were constructed to house over 16,000 San Franciscans in 11 refugee camps in locations including Dolores Park, Washington Square, Precita Park, Portsmouth Square, and today's Park-Presidio Boulevard.

"Union carpenters built three main sizes of cottages between September 1906 and March 1907. Cottages had cedar-shingle roofs, fir floors and redwood walls. All were painted green to better blend into the parks and public squares in which they were erected.

"When the camps began closing in August 1907, refugees hauled cottages to private lots, and often cobbled together two or more to form larger residences. Of the 5,343 moved from the camps only a handful are certified to still be standing."

Categories:San Francisco