Stow Lake Boathouse

The Stow Lake Boathouse is a recreational facility in San Francisco.

Stow Lake Boathouse
Stow Lake Boathouse, replacement for original boathouse built in 1893.
Origin
Coordinates37.7706°N 122.4771°W / 37.7706; -122.4771
Operator(s)San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department
Year built1946-1949
Information
PurposeRecreation & Boating

Location

The boathouse is located at Stow Lake, which is on the eastern most side of Golden Gate Park. Frederick Law Olmsted laid the groundwork for the creation of Golden Gate Park in what was the Outside Lands in the western end of San Francisco. The park was built from east to west, with Strawberry Hill and Stow Lake being among some of the first constructions.[1]

History and Architecture

The original Stow Lake Boathouse was built in 1893 in preparation for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 held in Golden Gate Park. The original rustic style boathouse was designed by Arthur Page Brown, an American architect who is best known for his design of the San Francisco Ferry Building. The first boathouse was much larger than the structure there today and had a gabled window above the roof and a wrap-around porch. After a fire destroyed the building in 1937, it was rebuilt in 1946 – 1949 from designs by architect Warren C. Perry who gave it an alpine chalet style look meant to integrate with the surrounding natural landscape. This was a style that was growing in popularity in San Francisco during the 1920s. The new boathouse was constructed by builders Wellnitz and DeNarde, who also did the rehabilitation of the Murphy Windmill in 1948. The new Stow Lake Boathouse was the first building constructed in Golden Gate Park after the end of World War II. The delay in construction was most likely caused by the depressed economy leftover from the 1930s and the start of World War II.

Tenants and Operations

Stow Lake Boathouse is owned by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, who governs all San Francisco public parks. The boathouse has been offering boat rentals since it was constructed in 1893 when it was known as the Strawberry Lake Boathouse. It is unknown who ran the operation until Calvin V. Tilden first leased the property in 1943. In 1971, his son, Calvin B. Tilden, took over and it remained in the family until 2011 when San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department evicted them. There was a protest and controversy over the change in tenants that was led by Suzanne R. Dumont, who created the Save Stow Lake Boathouse Coalition.[2] The concern was that if a corporation took over the operation they would remodel it and destroy the old-fashioned character of the boathouse. Dumont lost her argument with the city and in February 2011 the Board of Supervisors approved the lease to Ortega Family Enterprises, which operates a number of concessions in national parks.[3][4] Ortega received assistance from lobbyist, Alex Tourk, who helped them campaign to get the lease.[5] Ortega did remodel the building, adding a small indoor café, painting the exterior while preserving the original look, and upgrading the kitchen.

Landmarking

In 2011, the Historic Preservation Commission determined that the boathouse was eligible as a landmark but put the decision on hold for consideration until 2012, when they decided to consider the boathouse as part of Golden Gate Park landmarking.[6]

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References
  1. "Park History" (PDF). SF Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  2. Frye, Timothy (22 November 2012). "Stow Lake Boathouse Article 10 Nomination Request" (PDF). San Francisco Planning Department. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  3. "Ortega National Parks". Stow Lake Boathouse. 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  4. Gordon, Rachel (September 1, 2011). "Stow Lake vendor Bruce McLellan to close Monday". SF Gate. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  5. Sankin, Aaron (4 November 2011). "A Battle For the Soul Of Golden Gate Park". Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  6. Kinsey, Nick (1 February 2012). "Capital Committee of the Recreation and Park Commission" (PDF). San Francisco Recreation & Parks. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
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