SF State Lake Merced Campus Before the Construction

About This Item

View of the northern boundary of the Lake Merced campus with a view of the Stonestown Apartment complex (now University Park North), circa 1950. In 1939 the California State Department of Pubic Works developed a plan for clearing the north end of campus to make way for sports fields. The footprint for Cox Stadium was established in the middle step of the landfilled. Shrubs and trees from the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island were brought to the site to create a boundary in 1940. The sports fields were laid in 1942 with the lowest landfill area covered by lawn which became an additional athletic field called the Lower Field in 1943. Ellis and Henry Stoneson started planning Stonestown as a “city within a city” in 1948 with a novel mix of housing and shopping. In 1948, an additional 37 acres (four parcels) of land was acquired from the City of San Francisco, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and the Standard Building Company. The Gymnasium was the first classroom building erected in 1951.

Identifier
TP-ATA-0478
Date
Circa 1950
Context

The old San Francisco State College campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets operated from the early 20th century through 1952. As enrollment rapidly grew in the 1930s, the campus became overcrowded and a search for a larger location began. Classes officially moved to to the 19th Avenue location in 1953.

Geographic Coverage
San Francisco, CA
Temporal Coverage
1950s
Type
Still Image
Format
12x7 Print
Source
San Francisco State University Archives
Rights
Public
Views
384

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