Hidden in the corner of a meadow in Golden Gate Park, beneath a small grove of redwood trees, sits an obsolescent log cabin very few San Francisco residents have visited. Inside, the smell of wood permeates the musty air. The dark space feels noticeably cooler than the outdoors. An original brick fireplace stretches to the ceiling on one wall, with bricks haphazardly sticking out at odd angles. Dim, bygone light fixtures reveal peeling wood on reddish-brown ceiling beams.
In recent years, the Pioneer Log Cabin near Stow Lake appears abandoned, with its barred-over doors and shuttered windows — a “nobody ever goes in, nobody ever comes out” kind of vibe. It’s a stark contrast to the more than 1,000 acres of greenery that are filled with plenty of unexpected and historic treasures. (But notably, no actual treasure.) A myth has persisted that the cabin has been around since the park’s inception in 1870. It came a few decades later, but the former clubhouse remains an integral part of the park’s early history — and it’s soon to get a lot more use.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (which manages the cabin) hopes to make the space in the 111-year-old Pioneer Women’s Building available to the public to rent as early as mid-2023. If your dream is to have a wedding or host a holiday party in a historic log cabin, you can soon make it happen.
The brick fireplace inside the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park.
An interior detail view of the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park.
An interior detail view of the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park.
The light fixtures inside the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park.
These plans had been in the works before the COVID-19 pandemic but got sidelined as the demand for private events disappeared. Most recently, the cabin has been used as a sort of staging area for installations on John F. Kennedy Drive, the now-permanently car-free roadway within the park that has hosted a beer garden, food trucks and art along the promenade in recent months.
But the cabin’s origins date back long ago and are a rare display of a formerly private building on park grounds. After the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed the Association of Pioneer Women of California’s Financial District meeting location, the group decided it wanted its own private space out in Golden Gate Park. The new cabin’s construction was led by Anne McIntyre, president of the women’s organization at the time, who used her influence to secure a spot in the coveted location.
Association of Pioneer Women of California group photo during the dedication of an addition to the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park, with California Governor James Rolph and San Francisco Mayor Angelo Rossi in attendance, on March 18, 1932.
Redwood logs were floated down from Mendocino County to build the cabin, designed by the Reid brothers, well-known architects who built famed structures like the Fairmont Hotel, the 1909 Cliff House and Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre. It was dedicated on October 28, 1911, and was used until the association disbanded in the 1970s.
In 1987, the building was found to have termite damage and was finally repaired in 1992. The foundation was updated, and new logs from the Sierra were flown in by helicopter to replace any aging beams.
Interior view of the Pioneer Log Cabin, with view of the brick fireplace, date unknown.
From 1998 to 2020, the cabin was used as a permits office — anyone seeking a permit for an event in Golden Gate Park would need to visit the cabin. Parks department staff look back fondly at working in arguably one of San Francisco’s most distinctive and historic buildings you can work in. “Often kids would sneak up to our windows eager and maybe a little scared to see who was inside such a strange building,” Shauna Bogetz, supervisor of special events, permits and reservations, told SFGATE via email. “They were looking for storybook characters. Instead, they found our permits team, hard at work on our computers!”
Still, working in the building wasn’t without its challenges due to its age and the surrounding nature. “The log cabin was an amazing place to work,” said Dana Ketcham, director of property management, permits and reservations, who worked in the building for several years. “The historic building was beautiful although at times a little dark with computer monitors and limited lighting. We had many interesting experiences with nature including a mother skunk who built her home under the log cabin. … We actually had to move out for a while due to the strong odors.”
An exterior view of the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park, located off JFK Drive, near Stow Lake.
An exterior view of the side door to the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park.
A tour group riding Segway scooters zip past the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park, on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022.
A plaque next to the front door of the Pioneer Log Cabin in Golden Gate Park commemorates its origins as a gathering place for the Association of Pioneer Women of California.
The resident skunk is now long gone, but the decades of history that are housed in the cabin remain — and will hopefully soon be enjoyed by a new generation of San Franciscans.
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Tessa is a Local Editor for SFGATE. Before joining the team in 2019, she specialized in food, drink and lifestyle content for numerous publications including Liquor.com, The Bold Italic, 7×7 and more. Contact her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com.
This hidden cabin in Golden Gate Park will soon be for rent – SFGATE
