Mount Davidson, San Francisco, California
Encyclopedia
Mount Davidson is the highest natural point in San Francisco, California
, with an elevation
of 928 feet (283 m) It is located near the geographical center of the city, south of Twin Peaks and Portola Drive and to the west of Diamond Heights
and Glen Park
. It dominates the southeastern view from most of Portola Drive. It is one of San Francisco's 44 hills, and one of its original "Seven Hills".
Mount Davidson's most notable feature, aside from its height, is the 103 feet (31.4 m) concrete cross
situated on the crest of the hill. It is the site of a yearly prayer service, performed on Easter, when the cross is illuminated.
Mount Davidson Park tops the hill - excluding the land at the summit, which is privately owned. The parkland portion is located between Myra Way (east), Dalewood Way (southwest) and Juanita Way (north). Public transportation is provided by the 36 Teresita Muni
line, which stops at the Dalewood Way and Myra Way entrance to the park.
The residential neighborhoods around Mount Davidson Park are Miraloma Park, to the east, Westwood Highlands
to the southwest, and Sherwood Forest, to the southwest.
purchased the land in 1881. Under his ownership, what was then called "Blue Mountain" was renamed "Mount Davidson," for George Davidson
, a charter member of the Sierra Club
. Sutro's appraiser, A.S. Baldwin, bought this land from Sutro's heirs in 1911, along with much of the land immediately north and south of Mount Davidson. Baldwin began plans for development of Forest Hill, St. Francis Wood, Westwood Park, Balboa Terrace, and Monterey Heights.
The first temporary cross was 40 feet (12.2 m) high, and erected in 1923 for a service led by Dean J. Wilmer Gresham of Grace Cathedral. A second 87 feet (26.5 m) high cross was built in 1924 and burned down in 1925. In 1929 a 75 feet (22.9 m) high wood and stucco cross with lighting was built. The same year 20 acres (8.1 ha) at the top of Mount Davidson was purchased by the city of San Francisco for use as a park with funds donated by the Mount Davidson Conservation Committee, led by Mrs. Edmund N. "Madie" Brown. Arsonists burned down the third cross in 1931.
In 1933 Mayor Angelo Rossi, Governor and former Mayor "Sunny Jim" James Rolph
, the Easter Sunrise Service Committee, and the Native Sons of the Golden West
pledged to construct a permanent cross to commemorate the early California pioneers. The 103 feet (31.4 m) high concrete and steel cross was completed the next year with President Franklin D. Roosevelt
lighting the cross via telegraph from the White House
on March 24, 1934 – eight days before Easter
. Sunrise services are held at the cross every Easter and were broadcast nation-wide by CBS
from the 1940s through the 1970s. (According to longtime local columnist Herb Caen
, the original plans in 1934 called for a cross 100 feet (30.5 m) high, but there was "enough concrete on hand for an extra three feet – so on it went.")
Director Don Siegel
filmed a scene from the 1971 movie Dirty Harry
at the cross. Harry enters the park from Lansdale Avenue, an entry close to the Muni bus stop, before confronting Scorpio at the base of the cross. According to Warner Bros. literature, Siegel was pleased to discover the huge cross at Mount Davidson Park. However, the height of the cross and foggy weather made filming difficult. Every night for a month cinematographer Bruce Surtees
would ride a crane to the top of the cross only to be hampered by foggy weather. When the weather finally cleared the shot was made in one night.
The cross itself has been the subject of much debate among the residents of San Francisco as they have tried to weigh its religious role against its status as a historic landmark. In 1991 the American Civil Liberties Union
, the American Jewish Congress
, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State
sued the city over its ownership of the cross. After a long legal battle and loss at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 1997 the City auctioned 0.38 acre (0.15378068 ha) of land, including the cross, to the highest bidder.
The cross was purchased for $26,000 by The Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California
which installed a bronze plaque at the base memorializing the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide
. On Armenian Independence Day September 23, 2007, it was discovered that the 160 pounds (72.6 kg) plaque was missing. The original plaque was never found, and a replacement plaque was dedicated at a ceremony on April 20, 2008.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 928 feet (283 m) It is located near the geographical center of the city, south of Twin Peaks and Portola Drive and to the west of Diamond Heights
Diamond Heights, San Francisco, California
Diamond Heights is a neighborhood in the middle part of San Francisco, California, roughly bordered by Diamond Heights Boulevard and Noe Valley on the east side and Glen Canyon Park on the west side.-History:...
and Glen Park
Glen Park, San Francisco, California
Glen Park is a small neighborhood in San Francisco, California, named for the adjacent Glen Canyon Park.-Location:It is at the southern edge of the hills in the interior of the city, to the south of Diamond Heights and Noe Valley, west of Bernal Heights, and east of Glen Canyon Park...
. It dominates the southeastern view from most of Portola Drive. It is one of San Francisco's 44 hills, and one of its original "Seven Hills".
Mount Davidson's most notable feature, aside from its height, is the 103 feet (31.4 m) concrete cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
situated on the crest of the hill. It is the site of a yearly prayer service, performed on Easter, when the cross is illuminated.
Mount Davidson Park tops the hill - excluding the land at the summit, which is privately owned. The parkland portion is located between Myra Way (east), Dalewood Way (southwest) and Juanita Way (north). Public transportation is provided by the 36 Teresita Muni
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
line, which stops at the Dalewood Way and Myra Way entrance to the park.
The residential neighborhoods around Mount Davidson Park are Miraloma Park, to the east, Westwood Highlands
Westwood Highlands, San Francisco, California
Westwood Highlands is a neighborhood located south of San Francisco in the state of California and is one of sixteen neighbourhoods within the district. Also known as the Twin Peaks, District 4 is distinctive from other surrounding areas due its challenging topography and previously uninhabitable...
to the southwest, and Sherwood Forest, to the southwest.
History
Adolph SutroAdolph Sutro
Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro was the 24th mayor of San Francisco, and second Jewish mayor, serving in that office from 1894 until 1896...
purchased the land in 1881. Under his ownership, what was then called "Blue Mountain" was renamed "Mount Davidson," for George Davidson
George Davidson (geographer)
George Davidson was an geodesist, astronomer, geographer, surveyor and engineer in the United States.-Biography:Born May 9, 1825 in England, he came to the U.S. in 1832 with his parents, who settled in Pennsylvania...
, a charter member of the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
. Sutro's appraiser, A.S. Baldwin, bought this land from Sutro's heirs in 1911, along with much of the land immediately north and south of Mount Davidson. Baldwin began plans for development of Forest Hill, St. Francis Wood, Westwood Park, Balboa Terrace, and Monterey Heights.
The cross
In 1933 Mayor Angelo Rossi, Governor and former Mayor "Sunny Jim" James Rolph
James Rolph
James “Sunny Jim” Rolph, Jr. was an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931 until his death on June 2, 1934 at the height of the Great Depression...
, the Easter Sunrise Service Committee, and the Native Sons of the Golden West
Native Sons of the Golden West
-History:The Native Sons of the Golden West was founded July 11, 1875 by General A. M. Winn, a Virginian, as a lasting monument to the men and women of the Gold Rush Days...
pledged to construct a permanent cross to commemorate the early California pioneers. The 103 feet (31.4 m) high concrete and steel cross was completed the next year with President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
lighting the cross via telegraph from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on March 24, 1934 – eight days before Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. Sunrise services are held at the cross every Easter and were broadcast nation-wide by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from the 1940s through the 1970s. (According to longtime local columnist Herb Caen
Herb Caen
Herbert Eugene Caen was a Pulitzer Prize-winning San Francisco journalistwhose daily column of local goings-on, social and political happenings,...
, the original plans in 1934 called for a cross 100 feet (30.5 m) high, but there was "enough concrete on hand for an extra three feet – so on it went.")
Director Don Siegel
Don Siegel
Donald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
filmed a scene from the 1971 movie Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
at the cross. Harry enters the park from Lansdale Avenue, an entry close to the Muni bus stop, before confronting Scorpio at the base of the cross. According to Warner Bros. literature, Siegel was pleased to discover the huge cross at Mount Davidson Park. However, the height of the cross and foggy weather made filming difficult. Every night for a month cinematographer Bruce Surtees
Bruce Surtees
Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees is an American cinematographer, the son of Robert L. Surtees. He is best known for his extensive work in Clint Eastwood films, mostly westerns of the 1970s and early 1980s...
would ride a crane to the top of the cross only to be hampered by foggy weather. When the weather finally cleared the shot was made in one night.
The cross itself has been the subject of much debate among the residents of San Francisco as they have tried to weigh its religious role against its status as a historic landmark. In 1991 the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, the American Jewish Congress
American Jewish Congress
The American Jewish Congress describes itself as an association of Jewish Americans organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts....
, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a group that advocates separation of church and state, a legal doctrine interpreted by AU as being enshrined in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.-Mission:The guiding principle of Americans...
sued the city over its ownership of the cross. After a long legal battle and loss at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 1997 the City auctioned 0.38 acre (0.15378068 ha) of land, including the cross, to the highest bidder.
The cross was purchased for $26,000 by The Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California
which installed a bronze plaque at the base memorializing the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
. On Armenian Independence Day September 23, 2007, it was discovered that the 160 pounds (72.6 kg) plaque was missing. The original plaque was never found, and a replacement plaque was dedicated at a ceremony on April 20, 2008.
See also
- Dirty HarryDirty HarryDirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
(1971) film directed by Don SiegelDon SiegelDonald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
, featuring a famous scene filmed at the cross. - List of San Francisco, California Hills
- List of highest points in California by county