The Richmond District is a neighborhood in San Francisco that occupies the northwest corner of the city. On the south it is bordered by Golden Gate Park, in the north by The Presidio, in the east by Arguello Boulevard and in the west, by the Pacific Ocean. The neighborhood is often divided into two areas – the inner Richmond and the outer Richmond. The Richmond has a healthy commercial presence with “New Chinatown” running along the early blocks of Clement Street, and a major city artery, Geary Boulevard, houses business up and down its well-traveled blocks.

In the 1800s, what is now the Richmond District was known as the “Outside Lands”, mostly because the actual land was comprised of sand dunes and was considered way outside of the city itself. Originally this area of the city was owned by Mexico, then annexed by the U.S. in 1848, and officially made part of San Francisco in 1866.

Some of the earliest “inhabitants” of the Richmond were the dead – cemeteries dotted the area since the Richmond was so far from the city that no one ever thought they would want to settle there. But by 1888, San Francisco residents were hopping on a train that took them out to the beach to enjoy the Cliff House and Sutro Baths.

The first official resident in the district was George Turner Marsh (1857-1932), who in 1876 built his home at what is now the corner of 12th Avenue and Clement Street. He named it “Richmond House” to commemorate his place of birth, Richmond, Australia. And in 1890, the board of supervisors voted to officially designate the area The Richmond District of San Francisco.

The Richmond District has a very colorful history. Beer houses, race tracks, athletic venues, amusement parks, boarding houses – the Richmond has seen many phases in its history. And while many of the landmarks from its early years are no longer around, it’s a wonderful place to live, stroll and shop. And if you don’t mind foggy summers, it just may be the perfect place to live in San Francisco.

Want to find out more about the history of The Richmond District? Visit http://outsidelands.org for terrific guides and old photos. And be sure to pick up the book San Francisco’s Richmond District by Lorri Ungaretti. It was an invaluable guide in helping us put this short history page together, and it’s full of great facts, stories and historic images of the neighborhood.