In cooperation with a variety of partners the Presidio Archaeology Lab has initiated several projects to achieve its goals of site stewardship, education, and research. The following projects exemplify this work in progress.

Tennessee Hollow Watershed Archaeology Project

For several summers since 2003, Stanford University, in partnership with the Presidio Trust, has studied archaeological remains near the Presidio’s El Polin Springs. El Polin is a sheltered valley in the heart of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed. The team is investigating how the area was used during the Spanish-colonial and the Mexican eras of the Presidio (1776-1847). The goal is to understand how colonial and native populations related to one another, and to trace the City of San Francisco from its origins at the Presidio.

Researchers are asking: Who lived at these sites, and why did they make a home in this valley? How did they live their daily lives? Early on, researchers unearthed the remains of an adobe house believed to have been occupied by the Briones family, leading citizens in the emerging city of San Francisco. These important discoveries will play a valuable role in shaping future plans for Tennessee Hollow, and will help share the area’s history with the public. Visit the Stanford website.

Marine Hospital Cemetery

The original Marine Hospital of San Francisco, located on the Presidio’s southern border near the 14th and 15th Avenue Gates, was established in 1875 to provide healthcare at no cost for maritime laborers from the world’s ports. In 1902, the Marine Hospital became the Public Health Service Hospital.

From 1884 to 1912, a cemetery behind the hospital was the final resting place for about 500 soldiers who died with no family or no money to transport their bodies home. Eventually, this cemetery fell into disrepair and was even forgotten for many years. It was rediscovered in 1989 as the Army Corps of Engineers prepared the Presidio for base closure. The Presidio Trust is researching the history of this cemetery so the fascinating stories of those buried there can be shared with visitors.

Where Jack is at Rest: The Marine Hospital Cemetery (brochure)
Last Port: Marine Hospital Cemetery of San Francisco (poster)
Marine Hospital Cemetery: Remembering the Lost (poster)
Marine Hospital Cemetery, Presidio of San Francisco (project report)
Marine Hospital Project Report Appendix