San Francisco Teaches Charleston About Preserving Lesser-Known Areas

Though more than a hundred years newer, the city of San Francisco has a lot to teach cities like Charleston about preserving their less-than-iconic historic areas.

1 minute read

April 24, 2008, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"The plan doesn't dwell on Charleston's main historic district but rather maps out a list of recommendations for how to extend the city's strong preservation ethic into new areas, such as its 20th-century neighborhoods that are becoming more historic every day."

"If it seems odd that Charleston would hire a preservation consulting team from a city founded more than a century after Charleston, the answer might lie in the similarity of their current struggles."

"The waterfront and neighborhoods south of San Francisco's downtown include a mix of industrial and working class housing built shortly after 1906, when a major earthquake and fire laid waste to much of the city."

"As with Charleston, the industrial and port uses gradually drifted away to other parts of the metro area, leaving behind a gritty area awaiting a rebirth."

Monday, April 21, 2008 in The Post and Courier

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