Mount Davidson is the highest natural point in San Francisco, California, with an estimated elevation between 927 and 938 feet. It is located near the center of the city, south of Twin Peaks and Portola Boulevard and to the west of Diamond Heights and Glen Park. It dominates the southeastern view from most of major artery Portola Blvd.

Mt. Davidson's most notable feature, aside from its height, is the 103 foot concrete cross situated at the peak of the hill. It is the site of a yearly prayer service, performed on Easter, when the cross is illuminated.

Mount Davidson Park tops the hill, located between Myra Way to the east, Dalewood Way to the southwest and Juanita Way to the north. Public transportation to the park is provided by the 36 Teresita Muni line, which stops at the Dalewood Way & Myra Way entrance to the park.

The neighborhoods around Mount Davidson Park may also be called Mount Davidson, although they are also known as Miraloma Park, to the east, and Sherwood Forest, to the southwest. City College of San Francisco is located just south of the peak.

History

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Adolph Sutro purchased the land in 1881. Under his ownership, what was then called "Blue Mountain" was renamed "Mount Davidson," for George Davidson, a charter member of the Sierra Club. Sutro then sold this land, along with much of the land immediately north and south of Mt Davidson, to his appraiser, A. S. Baldwin.

The first cross was erected in 1923 for a service led by Dean J. Wilmer Gresham of Grace Cathedral. Several more were built and destroyed until 1933 (the land was purchased by the City in 1929), when Mayor Angelo Rossi, former Mayor "Sunny Jim" James Rolph, the Easter Sunrise Service Committee, and the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West pledged to construct a permanent cross to commemorate the early California pioneers. The cross was completed the next year with President Franklin D. Roosevelt lighting the cross via telegraph on March 25, 1934- one week before Easter.

The cross itself has been the subject of much discussion among the residents of San Francisco. Specifically, trying to balance the cross' obvious religious stature and its position as a secular, historic landmark. As a result, the City auctioned 0.38 acres of land, including the cross, to the highest bidder in 1997. The cross was sold to the Council of Armenian-American Organizations of Northern California, and has since served as a memorial of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

Popular Culture

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Mount Davidson is featured in the movie Dirty Harry. Clint Eastwood receives a beating at its base.

See also

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• MtDavidson.org History of Mt. Davidson Cross and Neighborhoods
• Armenian Genocide
• Satellite image from Google
• History of Mount Davidson

Hills | Landmarks in San Francisco | Parks in San Francisco | San Francisco neighborhoods