Calvary Cemetery
(aka Catholic Cemetery, Mount Calvary Cemetery)
Dates of Existence: 1860 to 1940.
Location: approximately 49 acres between Geary & Turk streets, Parker & St. Joseph's avenues (part of Lone Mountain).
Number interred: approximately 55,000.
Moved to: Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma).
Records: San Francisco Cemetery Records.
“New Calvary Cemetery. The regulations of the new Calvary (Catholic) Cemetery have been published. A clergyman is to be daily in attendance at the cemetery from 2½ to 4 P.M., henceforward, until March 1st. The charge for opening a grave for an adult is $12; for a child under 10 years of age, $8. The charge for plots is $1 per square foot, or $1 50 for select plots. The dedication of the grounds, which are 84 acres in area, took place on Thursday, the 18th inst. The land, says the Monitor, only a part of which was blessed on Thursday, is now being surrounded by a substantial fence. A handsome entrance is also in course of erection. An obituary chapel, constructed of frame, 20 by 32 feet, and a keeper's residence, 15 by 25 feet, have just been completed. The chapel is one of the simplest kind; a railing divides the sanctuary from the body of the building, to which is attached a sacristy. It is intended to erect a brick chapel hereafter. …”
Source: San Francisco Bulletin, 10 November 1860, page 3.
“SAN FRANCISCO DISPATCH. San Francisco, August 18–Calvary Cemetery, at Lone Mountain, was blessed by Archbishop Alemany yesterday, with great pomp and ceremonies, lasting four hours. …”
Source: Stockton Independent, 19 August 1862, page 2.
“It is said there there will expended altogether, in beautifying the San Francisco Roman Catholic burying grounds, known as Calvary Cemetery, over $50,000.”
Source: Daily California Express, 22 September 1862, page 2.
“The Cemeteries of San Francisco . . . CALVARY CEMETERY. The newest of the cemeteries of San Francisco, is the Calvary, adjacent to Lone Mountain, and southward from it. Calvary Cemetery is owned by the Archbishop, as a sole corporator representing the Catholic Church of the diocese, and it is now the chief burial place for the persons of that faith in San Francisco.”
Source: Daily Alta California, 22 July 1862, page 1.
“THE SUPERVISORS. Petitions and Communications … From Sister Mary Joseph, of St. Joseph's Infant Asylum, asking for the privilege of burying deceased infants from the Asylum at Calvary Cemetery. …”
Source: Daily Alta California, 26 July 1881, page 1.
“About two months ago Archbishop Riordan purchased 200 acres of land situated at McMann's station, San Mateo County, the same to be used for burial purposes. The purchase was made in view of the fact of the overcrowding of Calvary Cemetery, into which nearly 40,000 coffins have been lowered since it was dedicated a cemetery. The site of the new cemetery is a most beautiful one, and arrangements will be made with the S.P.R.R. Co. whereby bodies will be conveyed from this city to the burial grounds, thereby reducing the co6t of funerals as carriages will not be needed for the friends of the deceased.”
Source: Sausalito News, 18 November 1886, page 3.
“COSTLY TOMBS . . . It will soon be twenty-seven years since Archbishop Alemany consecrated Calvary cemetery. Previous to that time burial-grounds had existed in the yard of the old Mission Dolores church, where the sturdy forefathers of the city sleep; on the North Beach, and in Yerba Buena, on the site of the present City Hall. In 1860 Calvary was opened, and in November of that year John Riley, a pauper, was the first to occupy a grave therein. The site was well chosen, at the foot of Lone mountain. The soil was light and sandy. From many spots exquisite views of the city and bay could be obtained. Seventeen years after the opening of the cemetery it was computed that 23,500 bodies had found interment there. . .
Calvary is the most populous cemetery of San Francisco at the present time. When first opened it was in the country; it is now between Parker and Masonic avenues and Geary and Turk streets. It has been gradually filling up with coffins for these twenty-six years, and now the headstones in some parts of the grounds seem as thick as standing corn. Hardly a day passes that three or four funeral processions do not climb the hillside leading to the entrance gate. It is indeed a city of the dead. . .
On the western slope, and in the valley which is the extreme boundary of the cemetery, is the pauper burying-ground. Here plain, short, wooden crosses mark the spots where bodies are laid when friends are too poor to buy lots. They are very numerous; in some places the bodies lie as thick as in the abbey. . .
The usual allowance of land for a corpse is seven feet by three and a half; and when we say the usual, this is really the maximum also, for the greatest and richest, this life ended, can occupy no more. In Calvary cemetery, lots costs 60 cents a square foot. Enough ground to hold a baby can be bought for $10; but the regular cost for a small single lot is about $15. For this the purchaser gets a deed from the Bishop authorizing him to occupy the lot for the purpose of interment until the year 2000. Some of the deeds contain a provision that the holder may on demand secure a renewal of his lease for 300 years more. But there will be very little left of the Calvary graves in A.D. 2000. . .
One interesting spot in this cemetery is a small patch on the western slope of the hill, which is known as the unconsecrated ground. It is here that suicides are buried, and children who die without being baptized. Another interesting spot in Calvary is a plat known as The Heart. It is a piece of ground shaped like a heart; here the priests are buried. There are a good many priests in the Heart. A simple headboard, with a name and a date, or maybe a slab, with a few roses strewn on it, the gift of some grateful parishioner, are all that mark the resting place of some soldier of the cross.”
Source: San Francisco Morning Call, 27 March 1887.
“Bill No. 6648. Ordinance No. (New Series). DECLARING THAT THE FURTHER MAINTENANCE OF CALVARY CEMETERY THREATENS AND ENDANGERS THE HEALTH, SAFETY, COMFORT AND WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC: ORDERING AND DEMANDING THE DISINTERRING AND REMOVAL OF HUMAN BODIES THEREFROM AND FIXING A TIME WITHIN WHICH SUCH DISINTERRING AND REMOVAL MUST BE PERFORMED: DECLARING CERTAIN CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE CITY AND COUNTY WILL ITSELF DISINTER AND REMOVE SAID BODIES: REQUIRING AND EMPOWERING THE BOARD OF HEALTH TO ADOPT AND PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR SUCH DISINTERRING AND REMOVAL: PROVIDING FOR THE RESERVATION OF LANDS FOR MEMORIAL MAUSOLEUMS OR COLUMBARIUMS, GROUNDS, VAULTS AND MONUMENTS.
“Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco, as follows:
“Section 1. It is hereby declared that the cemetery hereinafter described contains an area of more than five acres and is situate in a City and County having a population of more than опе hundred thousand persons, and the right of burial in said cemetery has been prohibited by law for a period of more than fifteen years, and that the further maintenance of said cemetery as a burial place for the human dead threatens and endangers the health, safety, comfort and welfare of the public. The cemetery above referred to is situate in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, and is commonly designated by the following: name and is situate within the following boundaries, to-wit:
“Calvary Cemetery, bounded by Geary street, St. Joseph's avenue. Turk street. Parker avenue, St. Rose's avenue and Masonic avenue.
“Section 2. It is hereby ordered and demanded that, within five years from the date upon which this ordinance shall become effective, the cemetery corporation, corporation sole, association, or other person owning or controlling the cemetery hereinabove described, or the owners or holders of burial lots therein, or the relatives or friends of those whose bodies are interred therein, disinter all human bodies interred in said cemetery and remove the same outside of the limits of the City and County of San Francisco in accordance with and in the manner provided for in that certain act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled, 'An Act authorizing the Board of Supervisors or other governing body of any incorporated city, or city and county, having a population of more than one hundred thousand persons, to order the disinterment and removal of all human bodies interred in any cemetery of more than five acres in extent, or from a part thereof, situate within the boundaries of such city, or city and county, and directing the reinterment of such bodies in cemeteries outside of the limits of such city, or city and county, or the depositing of the same in a mausoleum or columbarium, whenever the further maintenance of such cemetery, or part thereof, as a burial place for the human dead threatens or endangers the health, safety, comfort or welfare of the public, and providing a mode of procedure under and by which such removals may, when so ordered, be made by the cemetery corporation, association, corporation sole or other person governing or controlling such cemetery lands, or by the relatives or friends of those whose bodies are buried therein, and providing for the sale, mortgage or pledge of cemetery lands from which the human bodies are removed.” Approved June 5, 1923.
“Section 3. It is hereby declared and ordained that, unless the said bodies are disinterred and removed within the time and in the manner herein in section two of this ordinance provided, the City and County of San Francisco, through its appropriate officers, boards and commissions, will itself proceed, upon the termination of said time, to disinter the bodies remaining in said cemetery, and reinter them in another cemetery or cemeteries outside of the limits of the said City and County.
“Section 4. It is hereby ordained that the Board of Health of the City and County of San Francisco shall, within sixty days from the date upon which this ordinance becomes effective, adopt reasonable rules and regulations relative to the manner of disinterring. transporting and removing such bodies, and shall, upon adoption thereof, cause the same to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City and County of San Francisco for a period of sixty days and shall forthwith forward by registered mail to the governing body owning or controlling said cemetery a copy thereof. Said Board of Health shall, from time to time, adopt and promulgate, in the same manner, any reasonable and necessary modifications or changes in said rules and regulations. A11 disinterments, transportation and removal of human remains from said cemetery made under the provisions of this, ordinance and under the provisions of the said Act of the Legislature, herein in section 2 referred to by title, shall be made and performed subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Health as herein provided.
“Section 5. It is hereby ordained that any cemetery corporation, association, corporation sole or other person owning or controlling any such cemetery lands from which the bodies interred therein are to be removed in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance and the provisions of the Act of the Legislature, herein in Section 2 referred to by title. may reserve sufficient land from such cemetery lands from which the human remains have been removed, to erect a memorial mausoleum or columbarium for the depositing therein of the bodies dis- interred from such cemetery lands and may provide sufficient grounds around the same for the beautification thereof, and may preserve such historical vaults or monuments as the board of directors, or other governing body of said corporations or associations, or the incumbent of said corporation sole, may determine to be proper necessary. Provided, however, that the land thus reserved for such mausoleum, columbarium, grounds. vaults and monuments shall not, in the aggregate for said cemetery, exceed in area ten per centum of the existing area of said cemetery, and provided, further, that plans for said mausoleums, columbariums and grounds shall first be filed with the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco and approved by said Board by resolution thereof.
“Section 6. This ordinance shall be in force and take effect immediately.
“Passed for Printing—Board of Supervisors, San Francisco, April 7. 1924.
“Ayes: Supervisors Badaracco, Bath, Colman, Deasy, Harrelson, Hayden, McGregor, McLeran, Morgan, Robb, Roncovieri. Rossi, Schmitz, Shannon, Wetmore.
“Noes: Supervisor McSheehy.
“Absent: Supervisors Katz, Welch.
“J. S. DUNNIGAN. Clerk. “apr8-5t”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 12 April 1924, page 22.
“Cemeteries Removal Approved
“First passage of an ordinance which will require the evacuation of Calvary Cemetery to make way for a new residential subdivision. was made yesterday by the Board of Supervisors.
“The vote was unanimous with four Supervisors reserving the right to change their vote in the event of changing developments. The evacuation is to take place within three years.
“According to Assistant City Engineer George F. Stahle, evacuation will be carried out under the direction of Archbishop Mitty with the provision that 10 per cent of the property be reserved for a mausoleum or columbarium.
“Two Streets will be run through The new subdivision. They will be O'Farrell and Baker streets with a connecting street between Anza and Presidio avenue.
“Speaking before the board. Supervisor Meyer said that no difficulty was expected in evacuating the cemetery, and that he believed Archbishop Mitty would make the arrangements without an ordinance.
“The property is bounded by Drury street, St. Joseph's avenue, Turk street, Parker avenue, St. Roses' avenue, and Masonic avenue. Immediately after the vote was taken on the Calvary Cemetery removal, the Supervisors voted, 9 to 2. to pass an ordinance for the evacuation of Laurel Hill Cemetery. The action was taken after Frank Deering, president of the Laurel Hill Cemetery Association, had asked the Board to delay passage of the ordinance to permit an agreement to be entered between the cemetery and the municipality for the conversion of the 6 acres of the burial ground into a memorial park.”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 23 March 1937, page 1.
“Postwar Housing.
“S.F. Syndicate Plans 100 Acre Homes Project
“A newly organized syndicate of prominent San Francisco builders reported yesterday they will start construction on a $45,000,000 super post-war residential project on the day following the signing of the peace.
“The report was made through R.D. Lang and J. William Jones of the Lang Realty Co., who said that deals had been completed yesterday for the purchase of Calvary and Laurel Hill cemeteries, involving sums close to $2,225,000 for the land alone.
“Lang said he was acting for a new syndicate, called the Mayfair Heights Corporation, which had completed plans to turn the 100 acres of the two cemeteries into a modern contour-planned residential area of apartment houses and flats.
“$1,000,000 PAID
“The purchase of Calvary Cemetery from the Catholic church was completed for a sum close to $1,000,000, Lang said. This amount included expenses of moving 58,000 bodies from the land three years ago and preparing the property for development.
“The Laurel Hill cemetery, also vacated three years ago, was purchased from the Heyman Brothers, prominent San Francisco builders, for about $1,250,000. This firm purchased the land from the Laurel Hill Association in 1941 at a reported price of $700,000.
“The Mayfair Heights Corporation is now drawing up plans to build $25,000,000 worth of apartment houses and flats on the Laurel Hill site and $15,000,000 of the same type of modern structure on the Calvary site. …”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 7 October 1944, page 1.
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