San Francisco Neighborhoods · St. Francis Wood
St. Francis Wood
Persistent Fog zoneA hushed 1910s residence park of grand homes, brick-diamond sidewalks, and Italian Renaissance fountains terracing up the green western slope below Mount Davidson.
- Olmsted-planned residence park
- Twin Renaissance fountains
- Architecturally landmark homes
- Steps from West Portal
On the map
Open St. Francis Wood on the map →The story
Named for St. Francis of Assisi, the neighborhood was launched in 1912 when the Mason-McDuffie Company bought former Sutro land to build one of California's first "residence parks." Duncan McDuffie hired the Olmsted Brothers to lay curving streets along the natural topography. Architect John Galen Howard designed the entry gates, lampposts, and lower fountain; Henry Gutterson succeeded him, shaping the upper fountain and scores of homes. Most houses rose in the 1920s, and the district joined the National Register in 2022.
Things most people don’t know
A pioneering residence park
Mason-McDuffie marketed St. Francis Wood as a planned "residence park" with lots roughly twice the size of an ordinary city lot. Landscaped medians, boulevards, and deed restrictions were meant to keep it parklike in perpetuity.
Designed by the Olmsted Brothers
In 1913 Duncan McDuffie hired the famed Olmsted Brothers firm, led by James Frederick Dawson, to design the curvilinear street plan. The streets were laid out to follow the site's natural hillside contours rather than a rigid grid.
Two formal fountains
St. Francis Boulevard is anchored by two ornamental fountains evoking Italian Renaissance gardens. John Galen Howard designed the lower fountain and entry gates, and his successor Henry Gutterson designed the monumental upper fountain.
Architect-designed homes
Henry Gutterson served as supervising architect for three decades and personally designed many of the houses. The collection of period-revival homes by notable architects is central to the neighborhood's character.
On the National Register
After a resident-led campaign, St. Francis Wood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, recognized as an early-20th-century residence park and an intact collection of architecturally significant homes.
Eating and drinking near St. Francis Wood
St. Francis Wood is primarily residential — these sit in West Portal.
Restaurants
- Trattoria da Vittorio · 150 W Portal Ave
- Little Original Joe's · 393 W Portal Ave
- Elena's Mexican Restaurant · 255 W Portal Ave
- Mozzarella di Bufala · 69 W Portal Ave
Bars
- The Dubliner · 328 W Portal Ave
- Philosopher's Club · 824 Ulloa St
- Bullshead Restaurant · 840 Ulloa St
Getting around and getting care
Transit. West Portal Station, a short walk downhill, is a Muni Metro hub for the K Ingleside, L Taraval, and M Ocean View lines into downtown; the 48 Quintara/24th St bus links across the south of the city.
Nearest hospital. UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, 505 Parnassus Ave (about 2.5 mi)
Thinking about St. Francis Wood?
Send me an address and I will come back with its sun, wind and fog, what is under it, and what has closed on the block.