U.S. Coast Guard Fort Point Station: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Presidio - Area A, National Park Service

Babalis, Timothy; Stromberg, Gretchen

The United States Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.) Fort Point Station is a five‑acre historic district located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California. It is sited within the boundaries of the Presidio of San Francisco National Historic Landmark along the protected waters of the San Francisco Bay. The U.S.C.G. Fort Point Station period of significance extends from 1915 to 1964. This time frame includes the period of initial development at its existing site, until the time new lifesaving equipment was introduced that drastically altered the way in which the site was used. The U.S.C.G. Fort Point Station contains structures associated with maritime transportation and early social and humanitarian efforts. The original Forth Point Lifeboat Station was built just east of the existing station in 1890 to come to the aid of ships stranded or wrecked at sea. The Station was moved in 1915 to make room for the Panama‑Pacific International Exposition. It has stood in its present location since 1915 with substantial additions and alterations being made throughout the period of significance. The major contributing features of the district include the 1890 boathouse, the Officer in Charge quarters, the 1915 boathouse, tide‑gauge house, buoy shack, storage building, pier, breakwater, and concrete seawall. Additional features include a row of Canary Island date palms, lawns, footpaths, and driveways. Some features such as the juniper hedges and the Monterey cypress windbreak do not contribute but are compatible with the U.S.C.G. Fort Point Station historic district. Other features such as the planters, accessible ramps, the entrance gate, and some of the foundation plantings do not contribute and are not compatible with the historic district. Currently, the station is maintained in good working order by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Park Service. Most of the structures are used as office and educational space by NOAA and the buildings are maintained in fair condition. Overall, the district is in good condition and exhibits all seven aspects of integrity as defined by the National Register of Historic Places. Those landscape characteristics that contribute to the significance of the proposed district include natural systems and features, spatial organization, vegetation, circulation, buildings and structures, and small scale features. The natural systems and features of the U.S.C.G. Fort Point Station provided an ideal location for lifeboat station. The gentle slope leading to the San Francisco Bay, the clear views of the entire north bay and the Golden gate, and the calm waters allowed for easier rescues. The remaining contributing buildings and structures display the evolution of the lifeboat station, including the original boathouse, the original Officer in Charge quarters, the newer boathouse, as well as the pier, breakwater, seawall, and outlying buildings. The footpaths and driveways from the original plan are still present although the vehicular access to the site was changed during the Crissy Field Redevelopment Project in the 1990s. Vegetation patterns such as rectilinear lawns, hedges, and Canary Island date palms are still present.

U.S. Coast Guard Fort Point Station: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Presidio - Area A, National Park Service

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