1298 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

Ingleside in 1938 was a growing residential area at the base of the newly built City College of San Francisco, which was constructed on the former site of a correctional facility for wayward boys. The scale model showcases the ringed road of Westwood Park, surrounded by hundreds of 1920s middle-class bungalows. Balboa Reservoir, bordered by Phelan Avenue, was—even then—empty.

Not visible on the model are Dorothy Adams and her husband, Art, who defied Westwood Park’s racist declaration of Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions and purchased a home on Plymouth Avenue in 1959, becoming the first black residents of the neighborhood. Also missing are the dozens of proposals for the reservoir site—currently a parking lot for CCSF—including the most recent plan for public housing. Phelan Avenue was renamed Frida Kahlo Way in 2018, replacing the real-estate tycoon and former mayor with a celebrated artist who visited San Francisco in the early 1930s.

Historical Photos

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All photos courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Scale Model Installation Photos

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All photos courtesy of Beth LaBerge.

Neighborhood Mixtape

Branch Events

February 2nd, 2019: Reading the Model at Ingleside

February 2nd, 2019: Build It: Lego City

February 16th, 2019: Westwood Park: Building a Bungalow Neighborhood in San Francisco