Austin KlarVanguard Properties · Lawyer Turned Real Estate Agent

Tombstones Used in SF Parks

Name: Tombstones Used in SF Parks
Uploaded: 2024-09-03T23:00:09+00:00
Duration: 23 s
Channel: Austin Klar
Description: In this brief Bay Area history video, Austin Klar explains that when San Francisco moved its cemeteries to Colma in the early 1900s, many tombstones and…

3 Sept 2024 · 0 min

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0:23

In this brief Bay Area history video, Austin Klar explains that when San Francisco moved its cemeteries to Colma in the early 1900s, many tombstones and mausoleums were left behind because families could not afford to relocate them. The city repurposed these abandoned stones throughout public spaces, most notably lining the pathways of Buena Vista Park, which is San Francisco's oldest park. Klar ends with a call to follow him for more regional history content.

The oldest park in San Francisco was actually built with tombstones. After moving cemeteries from San Francisco to Colma in the early 1900s, the city was left with a bunch of tombstones and mausoleums from deceased residents' family members who didn't want to pay to have those tombstones and mausoleums moved along with the cemetery. So those now abandoned stones were used to build property all over the open space of San Francisco. That includes San Francisco's oldest park, Buena Vista Park, where you can see the tombstones lining the pathways around the park. Follow me for more Bay Area history.