Presidio of San Francisco



Golden Gate seen from The Presidio

 

Today we visited the Presidio of San Francisco.  The Presidio (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco (the Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a 1,491 acre public park and former military base located on property at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Presidio has a military history dating back to 1776 when a 63-man expedition of Spanish soldiers, priests, and settlers arrived to establish a presidio under the authority of Spain in answer to English and Russian interests.  Father Junipero Serra established a mission nearby, calling it San Francisco de Asis, later known as Mission Dolores.  Authorities in Spain were not happy when they heard that English Captain George Vancouver had visited the Presidio in 1792, fearful that he would divulge crucial information about the Presidio. 



Golden Gate and Battery Emplacement (left)

The Presidio later passed to Mexico following their independence in 1821 and was subsequently seized by the United States Military in 1846 at the start of the Mexican-American War.  This U.S military post officially opened in 1848 and became home to numerous Army headquarters.  Several famous U.S. generals such as William Sherman, George Henry Thomas, and John Pershing made their home here.  

WWII Battery Emplacement - Presidio of San Francisco

Fort Winfield Scott

The Park includes the military post of Fort Winfield Scott, completed in 1915, which defended the Bay Area for 40 years.  Most of the buildings were constructed in the Spanish Colonial or Mission Rival Style.  The fort included an infirmary, barracks, parade grounds, a stockade, workshops, storehouses, and recreational facilities.  There are 768 historic buildings and structures that remain in the Park plus huge coastal batteries overlooking the ocean.  

Fort Winfield Scott and the Golden Gate

Officers Row - Fort Winfield Scott

The Presidio acted as the nerve center for Army operations during WWII in defense of Western United States.  The Letterman Hospital was one of the Army’s busiest medical centers with a peak load of 72,000 patients in one year.  The complex now serves as the Thoreau Center for Sustainability, housing non-profit organizations.  As part of a 1989 military reduction program, Congress voted to end the Presidio’s status as an active military installation.  On October 1, 1994, it was transferred to the National Park Service ending 219 years of military use.  The park is characterized by many wooded areas, hills, and scenic vistas overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.  Living quarters once occupied by officers and service men are leased as homes while other buildings are used for museums, park services, private schools, business organizations, and special events.



Presidio Housing overlooking the City

The Letterman Hospital - old main building