Building History
Letterman Hospital Transforms into Thoreau Center for Sustainability
For more than 200 years, the Presidio served as a military post, occupied by the Spanish, Mexicans, and, since 1846, by the United States Army. In 1994, it entered a new era as a national park, inspired by an innovative vision. The new national park will create a global center dedicated to addressing the world's most critical environmental, cultural, and social challenges. It will function as a working laboratory to produce models of environmental sustainability that can be transferred to communities worldwide.
The Thoreau Center for Sustainability was proposed as a living model of the Presidio vision.
In 1995, the Thoreau Center began its mission by rehabilitating the empty and dilapidated Letterman Hospital buildings, bringing new life to this National Historic Landmark. The Center's “green” architectural plan used sustainably harvested wood, recycled building materials, non-toxic paints and energy-efficient designs that maximize sunlight and natural ventilation.
Today, the Thoreau Center's 12 buildings house more than 60 organizations working for social justice, community education and development, public health, and environmental stewardship. It is fulfilling the Presidio vision: combining preservation of the park's historic resources with creation of a global center for a sustainable future.