Five San Francisco Buildings That Served Covert Roles

Always considered a “boom or bust” city, there are many layers to San Francisco. With its natural harbor and proximity to gold mines, merchants and miners flocked to the city. The waterfront was built with debris from shipwrecks and wharf. The earthquake and fires of 1906 left much of the city in debris, so it was used buried. The city of San Francisco is filled with tunnels from constantly evolving trains, storm drainage, sewer and utility services. The Bay Area was also a major base of covert military operations during World War II and the Cold War. There is no telling what may lie beneath the contemporary buildings of San Francisco or what buildings may have once been used for.

Here are five San Francisco buildings that served covert roles.

Shipwrecks

The city of San Francisco built as a maritime, immigration and mining center during the nineteenth century. Most of the early population was male which led to building many saloons, opium dens, hotels and houses of prostitution. The “Barbary Coast” along the waterfront became San Francisco’s early red light district. Merchant and immigration ships were often abandoned and sometimes wrecked in the harbor. Many were pulled into harbor and made into makeshift buildings. Many were buried with debris or dirt. After the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed much of the waterfront, the debris was buried there. Today, the area of Yerba Buena Cove on Market Street is covered with restaurants, high rises and modern buildings.

One ship that wrecked on Alcatraz was towed to shore and built into a saloon. The Arkansas was traveling from New York when it wrecked in 1849. It was purchased by an Englishman who cut a hole in the bow and opened The Old Ship Saloon. The saloon had some serious rumors circulating around it including kidnapping naïve miners and selling them to China and other illicit transactions. In 1855, the saloon was landlocked and a hotel built on top of it. The Old Ship Saloon and hotel were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake with saved timber used to build a new saloon and hotel. Today, the land a modern building on top of the ship but maintains ship décor with a commemorative plaque.

There are more than 40 known ships buried under the waterfront. Many, like The Old Ship Saloon were converted into saloons or hotels but most were simply buried debris extending the waterfront’s real estate. One ship, Euphemia was converted into a prison for a time in the 1850s but was soon outgrown. It was located next to another ship, Apollo. Both were buried, and today, the neoclassical Federal Reserve Bank sits atop.

Freemasons

Many of San Francisco buildings have Freemason ties. The first Masonic meeting in San Francisco was held in 1851 at 728 Montgomery Street. In fact, it is speculated that the street layout of Hyde Street, Market Street and Montgomery Street (now Columbus Street) were designed in the shape of a pyramid, a prominent symbol of the Freemasons.

The “Pyramid” street grid was designed by Irish born Freemason Jasper O’Farrell. It is believed he created the first diagonal street, Market to Mission, to lead directly to the Catholic Church, Mission Delores. It has also been conjectured that O’Farrell designed the pyramid grid to honor his former hometown of Philadelphia. Other Masonic symbols on the grid include the building where the first Masonic meeting was held at Montgomery and Washington, The Montgomery Block building, the Army headquarters, Black Point Ridge and the original City Hall. Some of these buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, and because of its symbolic history, Montgomery’s reconstruction had to be kept secret. The Montgomery Block survived the earthquake and later became an artist’s colony and the site of the city’s first newspapers.

The city of San Francisco has many Masonic symbols throughout. The Transamerica Building was built in 1986 in the shape of a prism. Although it is a stylistic statement with its tapered design, it is a pyramid and defines the San Francisco skyline. It is also a practical building because of its shape because it casts a smaller shadow and provides better natural light and air circulation.

The Presidio

There are 2 buildings located in The Presidio National Park, the former US Army base, whose histories have only come to light during the past few years. Building 640 is a warehouse but once held classes training Japanese-American linguistics during World War II. The US Army set up a secret Military Intelligence Language School where 60 linguists trained as interpreters for the War. Most were Nieseis, second generation Japanese-Americans. Many were enlisted for service during the War despite their families being sent to Internment Camps during the War. After Pearl Harbor, the school was moved to Minnesota. In 2011 plans began to create a learning center of the story of the Japanese-Americans who were patriot despite the prejudice they experienced. Building 640 holds the center to honor these men.

A second building with historical secrets is Building 1648. During the Cold War, the US Army secretly managed NIKE missile sites from the building. These sites were intended to defend the Bay Area from Soviet bombers. After the Cold War, the project was abandoned and the building left empty. It is being used today for an art exhibit, “Home Land Security” which runs through December 2016. It will most likely be torn down.

Bunkers

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the United States built 3 batteries with underground bunkers in the Bay Area to protect the coastline against Japanese attacks. Each battery houses 16 inch guns that fire 2 tons of ammunition 25 miles. Two have been opened to the public, Battery Richmond P. Davis at Fort Funston and Battery Townsley in Marin. A third was never finished. Battery Construction 129 still exists but only knowledgeable explorers know about it. The government has kept it off limits to the public.

Speakeasies

During Prohibition, San Francisco was filled with Speakeasies. The city of San Francisco had many prohibited bars and clubs running full service below ground. With its intricate underground tunnels, speakeasies were easy to hide under buildings. Most buildings on North Beach had speakeasies underneath. The St. Frances Hotel and the Sir Frances Drake had popular covert speakeasies. One was located underground and one wedged between floors. Both were popular with smugglers and movie stars. Today in San Francisco, many bar owners have revived the speakeasy in historical speakeasies.