Flashback Friday: From Tombstones to Textbooks – The Fascinating History of Lone Mountain at USF

The Masonic Cemetary - Future site of Lone Mountain - Courtesy of the SF Public Library’s Historical Photograph Collection

Let’s talk about Lone Mountain—the hill, the legend, and the quad that left me wondering if I should’ve trained for a marathon before enrolling at USF. Running (fine, speed walking) from McLaren Hall to Lone Mountain in under ten minutes felt like an extreme sport. And those stairs? I still don’t know how many there are—I was always too out of breath to count by the time I reached the top.

But once you got there, Lone Mountain made it all worth it. Its stunning Spanish Gothic architecture and sweeping views of The City gave it an almost otherworldly charm. And maybe that’s fitting, because Lone Mountain has a history that’s… well, let’s call it “layered.”

Back in the 19th century, this iconic hill was part of San Francisco’s Masonic Cemetery. By the early 1900s, as The City grew, officials decided to clear the cemeteries to make room for the living—though legend has it, not every resting place was disturbed. Lone Mountain College for Women was built in the 1930s, and eventually, USF brought it into the fold in the 1970s.

Rumors about the site’s past still linger (and who doesn’t love a good ghost story?), but Lone Mountain is now known more for its inspiring views than its haunting history. For me, it was a place where San Francisco’s layered past met the hopeful energy of students climbing—literally and figuratively—toward their goals.

So here’s to Lone Mountain: where every step is a piece of San Francisco history, and every view feels like a reward for surviving those stairs.

Happy Flashback Friday! (Go Dons!)