Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Roberta Swan Valencia Gardens Oral History Project Records,
- Dates:
- 1996-1998,
- Creators:
- Swan, Roberta.
- Abstract:
- The collection offers material on the changing cultural landscape of a public housing project in an urban setting. The stories shared by the Valencia Gardens residents represent their courage and perseverance as they seek to better themselves and their families.
- Extent:
- 1 oversized flat box, 1 manuscripts box (2 cubic feet)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Roberta Swan Valencia Gardens Oral History Project Records (SFH 599), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Contains files of Rebecca Swan who directed the oral history project and conducted the interviews. Included are audio cassettes and notes of the interviews, a project booklet, photographs, and video of the exhibit shared at the 1998 AIA national convention. Audio of the architectural design workshops is also included. The collection offers material on the changing cultural landscape of a public housing project in an urban setting. The stories shared by the Valencia Gardens residents represent their courage and perseverance as they seek to better themselves and their families.
Seventy-five residents participated in the oral history project. Ages of the participants ranged from 19 to 86. Of these, 15 were male and the rest female; 28 were Latinx, 18 African American, 16 Vietnamese, 11 Caucasian, and 1 Samoan. Two were former residents.
- Biographical / historical:
-
In the spring of 1996, the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the San Francisco Housing Authority, and the Valencia Gardens Resident Council created a partnership to work toward the rehabilitation of Valencia Gardens in San Francisco's Mission District. Residents participated in planning the new design which was a unique practice. An oral history project was then devised to convey information about residents to the architects and builders.
Architect Roberta Swan initially interviewed 12 residents and produced a pilot tape which helped secure funding from the AIA for the full-scale Valencia Gardens Oral History Project. The results were displayed at Valencia Gardens. This helped convince the Housing Authority to apply for a Department of Housing and Urban Development Hope VI revitalization grant which funded Valencia Gardens' rehabilitation. For the 1998 AIA national convention, Swan created a free-standing display, a booklet, and a CD-ROM from the results of interviews with 75 residents.
Valencia Gardens, which was completed in spring of 1943, was the city of San Francisco's first major effort in public housing. It was also renowned Bay Area architect William Wurster's first major excursion into multifamily dwellings and his largest urban project to that date. The original 246-unit community was built by the San Francisco Housing Authority under the U.S. Housing Authority's slum clearance program. Sculptures by Benny Bufano were added soon after construction.
After many decades and resulting age-related problems plaguing the site, the Mission Housing Development Corporation was contracted to revitalize Valencia Gardens in 1999. Occupants and neighborhood stakeholders contributed to the new design through workshops and task force meetings. Completed in 2006, the development consists of 218 family flats and townhouses apartments and 42 one-bedroom senior apartments in a non-institutional setting. Significantly, housing is incorporated with other community amenities designed to improve the lives of residents.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by Roberta Swan in September of 2010.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Tami J. Suzuki.
- Physical / technical requirements:
-
Includes audiocassettes and VHS cassettes.
- Physical location:
- Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-08-07 23:48:13 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Copyright has been transferred to the San Francisco Public Library. Permission for publication is given as the copyright holder.
All requests for permission to publish from photographs must be submitted in writing to the Photo Curator. Copyright has been transferred to the San Francisco Public Library. Permission for publication is given as the copyright holder.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Roberta Swan Valencia Gardens Oral History Project Records (SFH 599), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
San Francisco Public Library100 Larkin StreetSan Francisco, CA 94102, US
- Contact:
- (415) 557-4567