In September, a neighborhood resident living on First Street noticed an unusual pile of rocks on Guy Place, by the Guy Place Mini Park construction site. Realizing they were old cobblestones unearthed by the construction crews working at the park, he then reached out to The East Cut Community Benefit District to ask if our team could help save those so they remain on their rightful hill.
Before the dominance of the automobile, cobblestones were commonly used to pave the streets of San Francisco. It is likely that the city still hides layers of them throughout the Mission District, SoMa, West Portal, and Potrero Hill. Cobblestones found across construction sites typically make their way to a San Francisco Public Works’ storage facility on Treasure Island, and already have filled up a storage yard on Cesar Chavez Street.1
Luckily, thanks to the intel from this neighbor, to the help from SF Public Works crews and to the TJPA’s support, the cobblestones were transported to a private lot where they are kept safe until The East Cut CBD can incorporate them to one of our improvement projects on Essex Street, later this year. Stay tuned for the unveiling of future projects and discover how a piece of Rincon Hill’s history will be brought back to the main stage!
1. Bourne, J. (2017, November 16). Cobblestones Unearthed on Vermont Street. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://www.potreroview.net/cobblestones-unearthed-on-vermont-street/.
