Fort Mason in San Francisco has history going back to the American Civil War even though no battles took place in California during this period. It did have the gold at the time which both side did want, and although the state was supplying the Union with troops, it also had a still open harbor, which the south did need.
Since most of the residents of San Francisco at this time were from other countries more than there rest of this country, their ideals were to supporting and joining the Union.
Privately owned by Major General John C Fremont, the land was seized by the federal government under orders by President Lincoln as it was too valuable to the war.
The fort is named for Richard Mason, military governor of California before statehood, and descendent of George Mason, one of the signers of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
San Francisco Art Institute, one of the oldest art colleges in the country, expanded their graduate gallery space to Fort Mason Center, having a center for Arts and Culture, in 2017.
Unfortunately with the Covid Pandemic and remote learning, they lost a lot of students, and the school, already in a fragile economic situation, closed for good, after 151 years, in 2022, this new gallery included.
As seen 20 October 2022.
|
