The idea for several of the existing community gardens in San Francisco grew out of the Berkeley Peoples Park movement of the late 1960's.

In the early 1970's, Ruth Asawa, Ann-Marie Thielen, and a number of other artists and community activists organized the San Francisco Art Commission. Among other things, one goal of the Commission was to promote community gardening in San Francisco, with an emphasis on bringing gardening to public school children.

In March of 1975 CETA (the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, a federal program) granted 20 gardening jobs to the SF Art Commission. The 20 employees who were hired were subsequently involved in establishing on-going programs in 25 schools, five housing projects and many day care centers and community gardens, including the Fort Mason Garden.

Two CETA workers, Vicky Doubleday and Patrick Houck, were directly responsible for founding the Fort Mason Community Garden.

In the early 1970's Galileo High School had moved many of its classes into empty barracks in Fort Mason. In searching for space to establish a community garden in the Marina District, Ms. Doubleday met Ray Pons, who maintained the grounds at Galileo, and he suggested that the Commission establish a school/community garden in Fort Mason.

At about that time, Congress enacted legislation establishing the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) as part of the National Parks system. The GGNRA stretched from Fisherman's Wharf across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore, and included Fort Mason. The management of the Fort had therefore been transferred from the Department of Defense to the Department of the Interior. In 1975, with the help of the new Superintendent of the GGNRA and Nate Schafler, a teacher at Galileo, the Fort Mason Community Garden became a reality.

The original Fort Mason Garden ran in a north/south direction from Bay and Octavia Streets, to the four palm trees, which are still there in the Great Meadow. In addition to the student plots, there were 30 original members from the community. Of these, Rose Forno (plot #94) was probably the first gardener to set shovel to dirt; she has been a member of the garden ever since.

According to Ms. Doubleday, the original garden was a "poet's garden", a "culinary exchange", and a budding "populist arboretum." Most of the members were of French, Italian, German or Asian descent and most were excellent cooks. Much of the conversation among the members had to do with different ways to prepare the fruits and vegetables that were grown in the garden. The gardeners maintained cold frames for starting seedlings, kept rabbits (for fresh meat), and did a lot of composting with the ample rabbit manure.

The garden quickly gained attention in the community and a long waiting list developed. Then, as the GGNRA began to develop a master plan for Fort Mason, it was decided that the garden would have to be moved, and probably made smaller. The new GGNRA Superintendent was less enthusiastic about "a little pile of dirt", and proposed that the garden be relocated to the foot of Laguna Street, opposite the Safeway.

The gardeners didn't like this location because it was exposed to too much traffic, car fumes and noise. They asked to be moved to the present location of the garden, behind the Administration Building. At first they were turned down, because the master plan involved maintaining the Fort's historical sites dating back to the Civil War days, and this particular site was deemed too important historically to be used for "just a garden". Then, further research revealed that this very site was the location of the original post garden, many decades ago. What could be more historic than restoring the original garden? And so it was decided that the Community Garden could move to its present site.

In 1976 the garden applied for and received a Bicentennial Grant of about $1,200. When ground-breaking on the transformation of the Fort into a park was finally begun in March of 1979, these funds were used to help the gardeners move and expand. The grant stipulated that the garden must establish a Board of Directors and develop By-Laws.

The plaque in the western end of the garden commemorates the late Ruth Zimmerman, an early member, for her role in this "formalization" of the Garden (though the plaque is incorrect in stating that she was a founder of the garden - she became a member at least a year after it was founded).

One "charter member" of the official Community Garden (vintage 1977?) is still gardening with us:

Lucy Kaufman, plot #65

When the garden moved to its present site, it was able to expand to over 100 plots (there are presently 125). At about that time, Galileo High School faded out of the picture, as both Mr. Schafler and Mr. Pons left the school, the barracks were torn down and classes resumed in the original campus.

Although the garden is no longer really a school garden, we still have two school plots, and our neighbors to the north, the American Youth Hostel, also maintain a plot. One of the school plots was until recently assigned to Marina Middle School under the supervision of Joan Wlodaver. When she transferred to Galileo High School, the plot followed her...so we've come full circle, and a link to an important part of our early history has been re-established.

At about the time that the garden moved to its present location, the CETA program was discontinued, and Ms. Doubleday and Mr. Houck left the Garden. Mr. Houck, who is now a gardening consultant and plant expert in Marin, returned a few years later to help develop the garden's master plan.

The garden has been self-supporting and has been managed by its own members ever since, and the community garden movement in San Francisco is still going strong, with more gardens being established every year. The demand, at least for the Fort Mason Garden, far exceeds the supply, however. With only 125 plots, we have a waiting list of over 140 names, and the average wait is about 4 years.

Original article written by Alexandra Dixon, 1988

Modified 1999 by Victoria Christiansen