Exploring Hidden Gems: Unveiling 5 Facts About USF's Lone Mountain

by Samantha Marquez, Office of Development Communications

Lone Mountain

The portion of the USF campus known as Lone Mountain contains a rich tapestry that makes the location a unique and cherished landmark in the heart of San Francisco. Take a trip through history and explore the hidden treasures, ghostly legends, and historical milestones that make Lone Mountain a gem of the USF campus.

Four people together and smiling
2016 Alumnae of the Sacred Heart reunion.

1. The Lone Mountain campus of USF was originally the site of the San Francisco College for Women, established by the Religious of the Sacred Heart convent.

2. The Sacred Heart’s Alumnae community continues to be active and present. The community devotes their time and generosity to maintaining and restoring the Lone Mountain Heritage Room, a charming wood-paneled seminar space within the main building, which stands as a lasting tribute to the legacy of San Francisco College for Women/Lone Mountain.

3. San Francisco College for Women occupied the site from 1932 to the 1960s, when it was later renamed Lone Mountain College. USF acquired the campus in 1978, referring to it as their "Louisiana Purchase" for expansion.

Lone Mountain in front of Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco College for Women in the late 1930s.

4. In 2019, a marble heart-shaped sculpture by local artist Yoko Kubrick was installed near the top of Lone Mountain to honor the 50th anniversary of the class of 1968. The class raised $100,000 for the piece that weighs in at nearly 4,800 pounds.

5. Lone Mountain is associated with the legend of Sister Agnes. The Del Santo Reading Room is rumored to be a spot where Sister Agnes's ghost wanders, although confirmation is elusive.

Learn more about how you can help beautify and enhance the longevity of historic spaces like Lone Mountain.

Lone mountain and the surrounding area
Lone Mountain and the surrounding area
Sculpture at lone mountain
Students sitting at a desk
Lone Mountain in 1862 which was then the Calvary and Laurel Hill Cemeteries.
The Lone Mountain neighborhood and a portion of the Masonic Cemetery surrounding the San Francisco College for Women soon after construction was completed in late 1932.
Marble heart-shaped sculpture by artist Yoko Kubrick atop the Lone Mountain stairs.
Students in the Del Santo Reading Room in the Lone Mountain campus.