Old Mint hosts free, 2-day SF History Days fair

Photo: Brittany Murphy Brittany Murphy, The Chronicle The historic San Francisco Mint has it's landscaping finished along...

San Francisco’s Old Mint will make history this weekend with a two-day fair that celebrates history.

The fair, which is free and open to the public, marks a rebirth for the 142-year-old national landmark, which had fallen into such a state of neglect last year that the grounds were strewn with trash and homeless people had set up encampments atop its once-grand granite staircase.

The Old Mint at the corner of Fifth and Mission streets has been cleaned up in recent weeks.

There is new landscaping, new trees have been planted along the Fifth Street side of the building and the exterior has been steam cleaned for the first time in years.

The Mint was used as a party site during Super Bowl Week last month, but the History Days weekend is the first big public event since last summer when weekend tours were ended after the city evicted the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society, which had tried for years to turn the Old Mint into a permanent history museum.

Joseph Amster, dressed as Emperor Norton, strolls through the refurbished Old Mint. Joseph Amster, dressed as Emperor Norton, strolls through the refurbished Old Mint. Photo: Lea Suzuki Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Lea Suzuki Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Old Mint hosts free, 2-day SF History Days fair 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The city signed an interim agreement in December with Activate San Francisco Events, a venue management firm. The company had the Old Mint cleaned up and got it ready for public events like this weekend’s San Francisco History Days at the Old Mint.

S.F.’s past and present

The event celebrates both the city’s past and its diverse present. Over 75 neighborhood and history groups are offering exhibits on virtually every ethnic group and neighborhood in the region. The shows include everything from magic lantern slides to archives of more than 100,000 historic photographs of the city’s past. There will be talks ranging from how to research the history of a house to the life and times of Dr. Carlton Goodlett, the San Francisco physician, publisher and civil rights leader.

Other exhibits include rare movies about San Francisco, a primer on 19th century architecture as well as the 20th century history of the city’s gay and lesbian community.

This weekend’s history fair is the start of something new, said Jonathan Lau, project manager for the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which owns the Old Mint.

Lau said the city is getting ready to select a lead partner to help the city set up the Old Mint as a permanent cultural facility with what he called “exciting events.”

New era for landmark

If it works out, it will be a significant change for the building, which is both a national historic landmark and a granite white elephant. The Old Mint started making gold and silver coins back in 1874, but it hasn’t produced money in nearly 80 years.

It has been an office building, a museum and an exhibit space. But mostly it has been empty.

The city acquired the Old Mint in 2003 and leased it to the S.F. Museum and Historical Society, which had big plans to convert it into a museum of the city’s history. But the plans foundered because the building needs more than $50 million in seismic upgrades and other work. The society’s fundraising drives fell short and the city lost patience and evicted the group last summer.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf

History Days at Old Mint

What: A look at the city’s past and present as told by neighborhood and history groups.

Where: The Old Mint, Fifth and Mission streets, San Francisco.

When: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission: Free to the public.