San Franciscans still live in 1906 earthquake shacks. Here’s why they matter more than ever
lack of size.
But it wasn’t until after the lease was signed that she discovered 48 Cortland Ave. in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco was the Shelby Mustang or Stradivarius of tiny houses: one of dozens of surviving 1906 earthquake shacks that are still scattered around the city. Some are lived in by people who don’t realize their celebrity status.
“It was very exciting,” Henry says. “I got into reading the history of how they were built. … I remember going to look at the property records online and just seeing the official record listed as ‘refugee shack.’”