49ers and Firm Foundations: A Short Archaeological History of San Francisco’s Civic Center

Summary

As part of the work undertaken as part of the rehabilitation of the historic Federal Office Building at 50 United Nations Plaza in San Francisco, the US General Services Administration uncovered some of the remaining foundations for San Francisco’s old City Hall, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906. These foundations represent the easternmost extent of the city hall, which had not been previously documented. Previous work on the rehabilitation project had turned up artifacts that originated from another chapter in the site’s history, when the civic center area of San Francisco served as the main burial ground for the city, Yerba Buena Cemetery. In this paper I will explore the archaeological history of this small but important part of San Francisco, the artefacts that GSA has uncovered at the site of 50 United Nations Plaza, and the role that the federal government plays in preserving and maintaining these historic resources.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage