Portsmouth Square - 'birthplace of San Francisco' and 1846 gatherings

Portsmouth Square served as the central plaza of the early settlement of Yerba Buena and was the site of public gatherings and proclamations following the U.S. occupation in 1846. Local histories and plaques at the square refer to it as the 'birthplace of San Francisco' because of its role in the town’s early civic life and name change to San Francisco. The park remains a documented historic site in Chinatown and is maintained by the city.