Last updated: March 3, 2021
Place
4 - Quarter's 1: The General's Residence
WAYSIDE PANEL TITLE: Quarters 1 - The General's Residence
PANEL DESCRIPTION: The wayside faces north and is connected to the sidewalk that lines the east side of Macarthur's Avenue.
VIEW FROM WAYSIDE: The wayside stands on a small cement platform just off of the sidewalk. It is in the shade of trees. It faces rows of ivy, two palm trees, and a eucalyptus tree. A long stretch of lawn connects these plants to the General's Residence. The two-story building has white walls and a green roof. An awning frames the entrance, and the windows are narrow and trimmed with brown panels. A historic cannon is displayed on the lawn. To your left, there is a sign stating that the hostel is 0.2 mile ahead, the park headquarters are 0.1 mile ahead, and the chapel is 0.1 mile ahead. Accessible parking lines the other side of the sidewalk.
TEXT: A Home of Local and National Significance. From 1877 to 1943, Army generals in charge of the vast western territory of the Division of the Pacific lived here in Quarters 1. As the residence of the federal government's most prominent representative in the West, this building hosted military and civilian meetings, dinners and parties of both local and national significance. Designed to be the post's most impressive home, this Italianate style building is based on the stately stone villas of northern Italy. However the fort's limited resources necessitated using wood construction with minimal ornamentation. Almost all other buildings of this age in San Francisco burned after the 1906 earthquake and fire.
What does a house say about who lives in it?
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black-and-white photograph underneath the text of the large two-story house surrounded by a well-manicured lawn and trees. The photo is dated 1893.
CAPTION: A succession of more than forty generals lived in Quarters 1 during the western Indian Wars and every overseas campaign until 1943.
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: In the lower right hand corner, there is an aerial black and white photograph of the General's Residence and the chapel in the distance. The house includes a rounded and windowed section with wings going off to either side. The photo is dated 1970.
CAPTION: McDowell Hall was converted to an Officers' Club in 1943. The building's eastern side was transformed over time by periodic renovations, including the addition of a social hall (on the left) and a larger dining room (on the right).
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A color photograph in the top right corner, dated 1910, depicts the entrance to Quarters 1 at Fort Mason. A large arch curves over the road leading the residence, framed by two columns. Each column is topped with a light. The red gates are open, and a soldier in a blue army uniform with white gloves and a brimmed hat stands guard at the entrance.
CAPTION: The boxy shape, low sloping roof, and decorative overhanging eaves of Quarters 1 are typical of the Italianate style of the period.
SIDEBAR: 1906 Earthquake.
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black and white photograph of four men standing on the lawn outside of the General's Residence, near the awning. One is dressed in a dark army uniform with brass buttons and a peaked cap. The rest are wearing coats and hats.
CAPTION: General Frederick Funston (center) at Quarters 1 after the 1906 earthquake.
TEXT: After the disastrous earthquake of April 18, 1906, Brigadier General Frederick Funston rushed to Quarters 1. From there, he directed disaster response and relief efforts for more than a week, until his superior, Major General Adolphus Greely, returned from a trip and assumed control. As fires ravaged San Francisco, army troops worked with civilian firefighters to save what they could, and thousands of homeless citizens flooded refugee camps at Fort Mason.
DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A black and white photograph of men in dark uniforms standing behind tables laden with rations. People in plainclothes stand in line across the table - men in dark jackets, pants, and hats, and women in long skirts, white blouses, and hats. A cannon is positioned to the left of the scene.
CAPTION: Soldiers dispensing food at Fort Mason.
QUOTE: "While conditions improve slightly, the miserable situation may be indicated by the statement that all the food for three hundred thousand people in San Francisco is yet necessary cooked on the public streets." - from Major General Adolphus Greely in a telegram to the Military Secretary, Washington D.C., May 9, 1906
DIRECTIONS TO NEXT WAYSIDE: Follow the sidewalk ahead for 225 feet. Turn right before the crosswalk on Franklin Street. Travel north 150 feet to the next wayside.