Fort Point
A Gold Rush fortress for which the bridge’s engineer bent a special arch over it
The story
Before you is Fort Point, a brick fortress at the very entrance to the bay. Army engineers built it from 1853 to 1861, at the height of the Gold Rush. San Francisco was growing rich fast, and the harbor had to be defended from the sea. The fort followed the pattern of American coastal forts of that time. It is the only fort of its kind west of the Mississippi River. Inside are brick-vaulted casemates, where the cannons once stood. The fort was finished just in time for the Civil War. It was armed and garrisoned against an attack by Confederate ships from the sea. The attack never came, and the fort never fired a shot in battle. The cannons grew obsolete and were taken away. Later the fort held barracks and Army trade schools. In World War Two soldiers here guarded the strait against submarines. In the 1930s there were plans to demolish the fort to make way for the bridge. But the bridge’s chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, saw the value of the old fortress. He designed a special steel arch over the fort, and the bridge passed above it without touching its walls. Climb to the roof: from here you see the bridge from below, and beyond it the open ocean. In 1970 the fort became a National Historic Site.
Visiting
The end of Marine Drive, under the south end of the bridge. Open Thursday to Monday, 10:00–17:00; roof access closes at 16:30. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The outside of the fort can be seen every day. Free admission.
Photos
Sources
- National Park Service — Fort Point: History & Culture
- National Park Service — Fort Point: Operating Hours
- National Park Service — Fort Point: Fees
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