Woodward's Gardens
| Woodward's Gardens | ||||
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 Woodward's Gardens Entrance (1875) |
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| place | San Francisco , California | |||
| opening | 1866 | |||
| closure | 1891 | |||
| area | about 4 acres | |||
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Coordinates: 37 ° 46 ′ 4 " N , 122 ° 25 ′ 16" W.
Woodward's Gardens was an amusement park in the Mission District in San Francisco , which is a museum, an art gallery , a menagerie and an aquarium contained. The park was opened by Robert B. Woodward, who ran it himself from 1866 until his death. The area comprised two blocks and was bordered by Valencia Street and Mission Street on the one hand and 13th and 15th Street on the other. In 1891 the park was closed.
The site is listed as a Historic Monument in California under number 454 (California Historical Landmark 454).
history
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Robert B. Woodward (1824–1879) became wealthy through the California gold rush ; he owned a hotel near the port of San Francisco, in which many seamen stayed. Woodward bought a property from former US Senator John C. Frémont , where he lived with his wife and four children. After moving to Napa with his family , Woodward opened the property to the public as Woodward's Gardens in 1866 . For 25 cents, visitors could visit and use the entire property. Up to 10,000 people came to Woodward's Gardens on holidays.
After Robert B. Woodward died in 1879, Woodward's Gardens became less and less attractive to visitors until it finally closed in 1891. The family auctioned the Woodwards collections in 1894, with most of the exhibits being acquired by Adolph Sutro , a San Francisco philanthropist and operator of the Sutro Baths . The site was divided into 39 lots and sold.
The park
Robert B. Woodward was a collector of various works of art and other exhibits that he had acquired while traveling to Europe, among other things. He received collectibles from all over the world, from prepared animals to fossils and works of art , from various seafarers he became friends with at his hotel . When Woodward's Gardens opened, he converted the former home into a museum. Woodward exhibited here, among other things, zoological exhibits of different species, minerals , botanical collections and works of art from different eras and origins.
In addition to the museum, Woodward also kept animals on the premises. The largest aquarium on the US West Coast at the time, with fresh and salt water pools, was operated on the property. Woodward had a seal pool built near the museum . In addition, an underpass under 14th Street, which divided the property, led into an area where animal species were kept in cages and enclosures, such as bison , camels , deer , kangaroos , lions and tigers . Among other things, “ Monarch ”, the last and largest grizzly bear caught in California, was kept in a bear grotto . On the first day the Monarch was shown, 20,000 visitors came to see the animal. This grizzly later became the subject of the new design of the California flag . After Woodward's Gardens closed, Monarch was held in Golden Gate Park .
The park area was planted with many botanical species. There was a restaurant, play equipment, a roller skating rink and a stage on which z. B. Musicians performed. Woodward presented artists, including from Japan , but also various groups of people in Völkerschauen, for example Indians from the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and Aborigines . On Sundays, hot air balloons took off regularly in Woodward's Gardens. Woodward offered special promotions on holidays; For example, on May holidays, festivals were held for girls and boys.
Site after closure
After the earthquake of 1906 the destroyed area was rebuilt. Among other things, the San Francisco Armory was built from 1912 to 1914 , a production facility and warehouse for weapons, which was operated by the California National Guard until 1976 . This historic building was now owned by a pornography company before it was taken over by an investment firm who converted the building into offices and factories . There was also a restaurant named after Woodward's Gardens on the former site, which operated from the 1990s to 2015.
In 1949, a plaque commemorating Woodward's Gardens was placed on Mission Street and the corner of Duboce Street, where the facility was located . Woodward's Gardens has been listed as a Historic Monument of the City of San Francisco since January 11, 1950.
Remarks
- ↑ In various sources, 1892 and 1894 are also given.
- ↑ In one source the area is given as approx. 6 acres.
literature
- Marilyn Blaisdell: San Francisciana Photographs of Woodward's Gardens . M. Blaisdell, San Francisco 2012, ISBN 978-0-934715-05-8 .
Web links
- Image collection on the website www.sfgate.com (accessed October 12, 2020)
- Image of the plaque with inscription on www.noehill.com (accessed on October 12, 2020)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d Charles Beebe Turrill: Woodward's Gardens - 1876. In: www.sfmuseum.net. California Notes, E. Bosqui & Co, 1876, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ↑ a b California Historical Landmark 454. In: noehill.com. California Historical Landmarks in San Francisco, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ^ A b c d e Early Resorts, Where the "Old Town" Frolicked. In: San Francisco History. San Francisco Chronicle, November 9, 1913, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ^ A b c Peter Hartlaub: Woodward's Gardens comes to life in book. In: www.sfgate.com. October 29, 2012, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ^ Woodward's Garden History. In: http://www.sanfranciscomemories.com/ . Retrieved October 12, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Late 1800s: The Bear Beginnings. In: www.sfzoo.org. Retrieved October 12, 2020 .
- ^ The Monarch Bear. In: www.monarchbear.org. Monarch Bear Institute, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ^ Woodward's Garden Features. In: www.sanfranciscomemories.com/. Retrieved October 12, 2020 .
- ^ JK Dineen: SF Armory sells for $ 65 million - to be used for manufacturing and offices. In: www.sfchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle, February 7, 2018, accessed October 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Jonathan Kauffman: In memoriam: The year in Bay Area restaurant closures. In: www.sfchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle, December 21, 2015, accessed November 9, 2020 .
- ↑ CHL No. 454 Woodward's Gardens Site - San Francisco. In: www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com. California Historical Landmarks, accessed October 12, 2020 .