Earthquake Refugee Shack

This Earthquake Refugee Shack was part of the rehousing program funded by the Relief Organization after the devastation of the massive earthquake and fires in San Francisco in April 1906. Small redwood cottages were built in temporary refugee camps, where residents could lease them for $2 per month and own them once their rent totaled $50. The new owner was then responsible for moving the shack to a new lot. Today this structure is a private residence. Its owner was behind an effort to acknowledge the surviving examples of this housing type; the house was designated San Francisco Landmark #171 in 1984.

James E. Phelan organized the Relief Corporation to rehome 16,448 citizens after the destruction caused by the massive San Francisco earthquake in April 1906 and the resulting fires that burned for three days. A third of the city, including downtown San Francisco, lay in ruins, with homeless citizens housed in tents at sites scattered across the town. The U.S. military sent all available tents and camp stoves to the city. Martial law was declared, and U.S. Army soldiers kept order at the refugee camps. The National Red Cross helped distribute food. Camps were established at Golden Gate Park, under the 22nd Infantry at first, followed by the 14th Infantry. Later, the 14th Cavalry took over at Golden Gate. Eventually, the city took over administration of the camps.

The Relief Corporation implemented three programs to solve the housing problem. The first program was a flat grant of 33% of construction costs for rebuilding, payable after the building was completed. The second program was public housing, constructed on public land, for expected long-term occupancy of those who could not afford "market rate" housing.

The third program was the construction by the City Corps of Engineers, commanded by US Army General Adolphus Washington Greeley, of 5,610 cottages consisting of two or three rooms and a gas connection. The average cottage size was 10 X 14 feet and walls were typically California redwood with a coat of green paint. The houses were built in public parks and squares throughout the city and leased to the homeless for $2 per month. These cottages were built with the intent of moving them to private properties, after the rent totaled the price of $50. The cottages filled public spaces and gave low-income families a chance to be homeowners. Some owners who could not afford the cost of moving the shack (using teams of horses and wooden skids) disassembled their homes and moved them in pieces.

The last camp closed in June 1908. Two surviving earthquake refugee cottages have been preserved at the Presidio, behind the former post hospital (Lincoln Blvd. and Funston Ave.). Four shacks were restored by the Western Neighborhoods Project, with one becoming part of the S. F. Zoo's conservation center and the other three in Oakland's Fifth Avenue Institute. At many of the relocated refugee shacks, additions were built to increase the livable size and porches added outdoor space. In some cases, more than one shack was joined together to form a single, larger house. This 24th St. cottage, a block south of Golden Gate Park. is a conglomeration of three refugee shacks. The two-bedroom house became a city landmark in 1984.

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National Park Service. 1906 Earthquake: Refugee Camps, Presidio of San Francisco, California. February 28th, 2015. Accessed April 13th, 2017 and June 2nd, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/prsf/learn/historyculture/1906-earthquake-relief-efforts-living-accommodations.htm.

Noe Hill. San Francisco Landmark #171 Earthquake Refugee Shack. Accessed April 13, 2017 and June 2nd, 2025. http://noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf171.asp.

Outside Lands.1906 Earthquake Refugee Cottages. Accessed April 13, 2017. http://www.outsidelands.org/shacks.php.

Zillow. 1227 24th Ave., San Francisco CA, Zillow. May 1st, 2025. Accessed June 2nd, 2025. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1227-24th-Ave-San-Francisco-CA-94122/15101798_zpid/.