Naiad Cove, named after the Greek demigoddesses, has been a labor of love and hard work to preserve the treasures, memories and history of Lands End, the Cliff House, Sutro Heights and Ocean Beach.
‘Naiad Cove’ Exhibit Makes History Come Alive
‘Cliff Moving Picture Gallery’ Illuminates Cliff House History
When the 157-year-old Cliff House restaurant closed its doors in December 2020, it was “another blow to lose an iconic restaurant in San Francisco,” said Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the Western Neighborhoods Project. Nevertheless, as one door closes, a window opens.
Press Release: Local Students Win Fracchia Prizes for History Essays
The San Francisco Historical Society invited high school students to become a part of the critical national debate regarding the role of civic monuments, including monuments that are controversial.
Historians Form ‘Save the Cliff House Collection’ to Salvage Treasures
When Alexandra Mitchell, the owner and principal fine art conservator at ACT Art Conservation, learned that the Cliff House’s art works and memorabilia were slated to be auctioned off in mid-March, she knew something had to be done.
Press Release: ‘Monuments, Murals and Memorials’ Panel Discussion – Western Neighborhoods Project
Join us for “Monuments, Murals and Memorials” moderated by Executive Director Nicole Meldahl of Western Neighborhoods Project on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 6:00pm via Zoom
Historical Groups Document ‘Chinese in the Richmond’
The “Chinese in the Richmond” initiative, first launched in 2019, is a companion to the CHSA’s “Chinese in the Sunset” project. Together with the Sunset project, the family photos, school garments, awards, business documents and first-person stories brought in by the Richmond’s Chinese residents, will help weave together the narrative of how the west side’s vibrant Chinese community came to be.
Press Release: ‘Chinese in the Richmond’ Open House April 24
This Open House will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, in real life at the WNP office at 1617 Balboa St.
Stern Grove’s Trocadero in Line for Landmark Status
Efforts are underway to give landmark status to one of San Francisco’s hidden jewels in a location that has featured predominantly in the City’s history for more than a hundred years.
Press Release: Western Neighborhoods Project Seeks New Board Members
WNP wants its Board of Directors to better reflect the community, including folks from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. This is what gives San Francisco its unique identity and will advance the group’s community history work beyond the past and into a new decade.
Students of History: Win a Free One-Year Western Neighborhoods Project Membership
In honor of their new discounted student membership (just $30 a year!) launching in 2021, Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) and the Richmond Review / Sunset Beacon have teamed up for a contest.
Press Release: High School Students Make History in Writing Competition
Three history-loving teen writers will be awarded the 2020 Fracchia Prize by San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed and the Golden Gate Park walking tours they designed will be made available to the public for free.
Argonne Elementary School Celebrates Its 100-Year Mark
In April 1919, the San Francisco Board of Education passed a resolution to name the first school slated for construction after the signing of the Armistice in honor of the San Franciscans who served. The thoroughly modern Argonne School was built quickly by the Board of Public Works.
Star of the Sea Church Celebrates Its Quasquicentennial
In 1866, what we now call the Richmond District was incorporated into the City of San Francisco. Known as the “outside lands,” it was a lonely area of drifting sand dunes and sagebrush, a blank area on county maps with Mountain Lake as the sole identifiable feature.
West Portal Playground Historical Background
The genesis of the land for this playground comes as a by-product of the West Portal rail station (now Muni), which opened on Feb. 3, 1918 as the western terminus of the Twin Peaks Tunnel.
West Sunset Playground Historical Background
Long before children soared in the swings of the West Sunset Playground, an 1868 city map showed the San Francisco’s west portion known as the Outside Lands with numerous lots reserved for public purposes such as parks and school buildings. Only two plots were reserved for parks in the Sunset District; what became McCoppin and Parkside Squares. The rest were purchased over time.
