Main Post in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Pershing Square

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 2, 2021

1. Pershing Square Marker

Inscription. Some of the Presidio's highest-ranking officers lived in houses on the site of Pershing Square — until 1915, when disaster struck. On the night of August 27, 1915, fire ravaged the home of Brigadier General John J. Pershing, killing his wife and three daughters.

The Army did not rebuild the house, and eventually dedicated this area as Pershing Square — a memorial to the Pershing family. For more than four decades, the boom of cannon and the lowering of the flag here at 5:00 p.m. have signaled the end of the workday on the Presidio.

Captions
Left: The flagstaff (below) stands near the site of Pershing's home. Since 1951 this area has been the ceremonial heart of the Presidio.
Right: John J. Pershing with his family. Only his son, at right, survived the fire of 1915. General Pershing would go on to command the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War I.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Forts and Castles. A significant historical date for this entry is August 27, 1915.

Location. 37° 47.915′ N, 122° 27.515′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in

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Main Post. Marker is on Graham Street south of Sheridan Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94129, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Outpost of an Empire (here, next to this marker); North West Corner of Original Presidio (within shouting distance of this marker); Ammunition Magazine (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Post Chapel (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Ordoñez Gun (about 500 feet away); War in the Philippines (about 500 feet away); Montgomery Street Barracks (about 500 feet away); Sixth Army Headquarters (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

Also see . . . Family Dies in Fire at Presidio. August 27, 1915 article in the Los Angeles Herald about the Pershing tragedy, via the California Digital Newspaper Collection maintained by the University of California, Riverside's Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research. (Submitted on July 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 2, 2021

2. Pershing Square Marker

Marker is on the right.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 209 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.