is the presidio still an active military base

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Is Presidio still a military base?

In 1994, the Presidio of San Francisco was transferred to the National Park Service, ending 219 years as a military post and beginning a new era of mixed commercial and public use.

When did the Presidio close as a military base?

1994With over 350 historically significant buildings, the Presidio of San Francisco was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. In 1989, Congress decided to close the Presidio and it was transferred to the National Park Service in October of 1994.

Why was the Presidio closed?

In 1989, as the Cold War drew to an end, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission deemed the Presidio to be excess to the military's needs.

Do people live in the Presidio?

Unsurprisingly, residents tend to stick around in Presidio housing. Some have been there since the military departed. "We have quite a long tenancy," Delagnes said. "People stay for quite a while."

Is there an Army base in San Francisco?

Known as the Gateway to the Pacific, Travis Air Force Base is located in the San Francisco Bay area. Their primary mission is to deliver rapid and reliable airlift forces anywhere in the world in support of the Department of Defense operations.

Who bought the Presidio?

Buyout firm American Securities acquired Presidio in 2011 for an undisclosed amount. It sold the company to Apollo Global Management Inc three years later for about $1.3 billion, Reuters reported at the time. Apollo took Presidio public in 2017 and BC Partners took it private in 2019 in a $2.1 billion deal.

What is the deepest part of the San Francisco Bay?

The deepest part of the bay is under and out of the Golden Gate Bridge, at 372 ft (113 m). In the late 1990s, a 12-year harbor-deepening project for the Port of Oakland began; it was largely completed by September 2009.

Is the Presidio free?

The Presidio invites you to explore where San Francisco began. With more than 1,500 acres for picnics, eight scenic overlooks and miles of hiking and biking trails, you are welcome to explore the best views in San Francisco for free, 24 hours a day.

How do you get around the Presidio?

San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) buses serve the Presidio via the 28, 29 and 43 lines. Bus service from the North Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza is available through Golden Gate Transit. The PresidiGo shuttle bus also provides free service to and from downtown San Francisco.

What is the purpose of the Presidio?

The Presidio has served as a military reservation from its establishment in 1776 as Spain's northern-most outpost of colonial power in the New World. It was one of the longest-garrisoned posts in the country and the oldest installation in the American West.

What are the buildings at the Presidio used for?

Most of the Presidio's buildings are former military installations that shuttered when it became a national park, and while some have been rehabilitated — the former guardhouse that now houses the Presidio Visitor Center, for instance — at least 100 are completely unused, their boarded-up windows accruing graffiti and ...

Is the Presidio a good neighborhood?

Presidio of San Francisco is in San Francisco County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Presidio of San Francisco offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents rent their homes. In Presidio of San Francisco there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.

Who owns the Presidio in San Francisco?

It was continually used as a military base by the Spanish, Mexican, and American armies over the course of 218 years. The Presidio remained under US Army control until 1994, when it was transferred to the National Park Service.

What were presidios used for?

The government of New Spain settled the northern borderlands of Mexico and present-day Texas with missions, frontier communities, and presidios. Presidios were colonial frontier military settlements intended to secure and defend Spain's claim to territories occupied by indigenous populations.

What is the deepest part of the San Francisco Bay?

The deepest part of the bay is under and out of the Golden Gate Bridge, at 372 ft (113 m). In the late 1990s, a 12-year harbor-deepening project for the Port of Oakland began; it was largely completed by September 2009.

What is the Presidio known for?

Over 148 years, the U.S. Army transformed the Presidio grounds from mostly windswept dunes and scrub to a verdant, preeminent military post. In 1962, the Presidio was designated a National Historic Landmark and the site has been part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1994.

What was the Presidio involved in?

During its long history, the Presidio was involved in most of America's military engagements in the Pacific Rim. Importantly, it was the assembly point for army forces that invaded the Philippines during the Spanish–American War, America's first major military engagement in the region.

When did the Presidio send its units to war?

The Presidio sent its few remaining units to war for the last time in 1991 for Desert Storm, the First Gulf War. The role of Sixth Army was management of training and coordinating deployment of Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve units in the Western U.S. for Operation Desert Storm.

What is the name of the San Francisco Presidio?

Designated NHL. June 13, 1962. Designated CHISL. 1933. The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army military fort on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation ...

Why was the Presidio built?

September 17, 1776: The Presidio began as a Spanish garrison to defend Spain's claim to San Francisco Bay and to support Mission Dolores; it was the northernmost outpost of New Spain in the declining Spanish Empire.

When was the Presidio opened?

The Presidio was seized by the U.S. military at the start of the Mexican–American War in 1846. It was officially re-opened by the Americans in 1848 and became home to several army headquarters and units, the last being the United States 6th Army. Several famous U.S. generals, such as William Sherman, George Henry Thomas, and John Pershing, made their homes here.

How many buildings are there in the Presidio?

The park has a large inventory of approximately 800 buildings, many of them historical. By 2004, about 50% of the buildings on park grounds had been restored and partially remodeled. The Presidio Trust has contracted commercial real estate management companies to help attract and retain residential and commercial tenants. The total capacity is estimated at 5,000 residents when all buildings have been rehabilitated. Among the Presidio's residents is The Bay School of San Francisco, a private coeducational college preparatory school located in the central Main Post area. Others include The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Tides Foundation, the Arion Press, Sports Basement Presidio, and The Walt Disney Family Museum, a museum in the memory of Walt Disney. Many various commercial enterprises also lease buildings on the Presidio, including Starbucks Coffee .

When was the Presidio of San Francisco established?

It had been a fortified location since September 17, 1776, when New Spain established the presidio to gain a foothold in Alta California and the San Francisco Bay. It passed to Mexico in 1820, which in turn passed it to the United States in 1848.

When did the Presidio become a military base?

In 1847 , during the Mexican-American War, the New York Volunteers occupied the Presidio which became a U.S. Army post in 1848. The next 147 years saw the Presidio grow to become one of the U.S. Army’s most critical West Coast installations, playing important roles in the Spanish American War, the Philippine War, and World War II.

What was the Presidio used for?

During the war the Presidio served as the headquarters for the Western Defense Command, the U.S. Army command responsible for the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent from the West Coast of the United States. In addition, the Presidio housed the Military Intelligence Service Language School, ...

How many acres are there in the Presidio of San Francisco?

The Presidio of San Francisco has 1,491 acres, including forests, beaches and bluffs, hiking and biking trails, and 768 historic buildings and structures and is one of the largest and most innovative preservation projects in the Nation. The Presidio of San Francisco, a National Historic Landmark District, is located at the mouth ...

What was the Presidio of San Francisco?

During the war the Presidio served as the headquarters for the Western Defense Command, the U.S. Army command responsible for the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent from the West Coast of the United States. In addition, the Presidio housed the Military Intelligence Service Language School, where second-generation Japanese Americans taught the Japanese language to military personnel.

When was the Presidio of San Francisco transferred to the National Park Service?

In 1994 , the Presidio of San Francisco was transferred to the National Park Service, ending 219 years as a military post and beginning a new era of mixed commercial and public use. The Presidio Trust, created by the U.S. Congress in 1996, oversees and manages 80% of the Presidio’s lands and buildings, with the National Park Service’s Golden Gate ...

Who recommended that they be removed from western coastal areas?

General DeWitt recommended that they be removed from western coastal areas. President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed, issuing Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, which authorized the establishment of military areas "from which any or all persons may be excluded.".

Why was the hangar in the Bakers and Cooks School called a laundry facility?

The hangar looked nothing like a traditional school and outsiders were told it was a laundry facility in order to protect its secrecy. Students studied in their makeshift classrooms, played volleyball for recreation, and walked to the nearby Bakers and Cooks School in Building 220 three times a day for meals.

What is Presidio of Monterey?

Contact Information. Presidio of Monterey, California is an active military base in Monterey run by the US Army. It is among the oldest in the area and has tight connection with the Spanish times.

What is the housing system at Presidio of Monterey?

The housing system at Presidio of Monterey is dealt with by the Residential Housing Communities Initiative, in a tight connection with the US Army. It is responsible for building, leasing and selling homes in the camp.

How many soldiers reactivated the Fort?

About 200 soldiers reactivated it after the American Civil War. In 1903, a few cavalry units got there and renamed the fort to what it is today, then set up a real camp and began recruiting and training personnel. During World War I, Presidio de Monterey hosted a musketry school and a cooking one.

How many troops were in Monterey?

A few years later, Monterey became one of the famous presidios, or forts. The unit inhabiting it counted not more than 56 troops. One of the worst moments in its history took place in 1818, when the one and only pirate of California – Hipolito Bouchard – took a raid over the fort and evacuated it.

What happened to Fort Ord?

The extra land was later turned into a new fort – Fort Ord. After World War II ended, the fort became an additional base for Fort Ord, which was stronger and larger. It didn’t last too much though. In 1994, the American government decided to shut down Fort Ord.

When was the gold fort in California abandoned?

In 1848, the gold discoveries in California took everyone’s minds. Most soldiers deserted while looking for a better life and started digging for gold. The base was basically abandoned and disestablished. About 200 soldiers reactivated it after the American Civil War. In 1903, a few cavalry units got there and renamed the fort to what it is today, then set up a real camp and began recruiting and training personnel.

Who took over Fort Mevine?

The Americans took over the base in 1846 during the war with Mexico. The assault was led by John D. Sloat. After taking over the control, he left a few Marines to deal with the area and improve it for the potential upcoming attacks. The fort was renamed in the memory of one of the captains who helped with the assault – Fort Mevine.

What is the Presidio in the military?

The Presidio is home to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center-a training school for military specialties that require foreign language education in any of the Presidio’s eight language schools as well as an Emerging Languages Task Force. Find information about Army Garrison Presidio of Monterey including ...

What was the military training at the Presidio?

The Presidio hosted several types of military training from 1907 to 1917 including musket training and a facility for military cooks. In 1917 the Army purchased land nearby that would become Fort Ord in 1940 and the fort absorbed much of the activity happening at the Presidio.

How to contact Presidio School Support Services?

For information on transfer requirements for students attending school in one of these districts, contact Presidio School Support Services at DSN (312)768-6904. Parents should plan on hand-carrying school records, transcripts, immunization forms and other required documents when PCSing to the area.

How long is the waiting list for Presidio housing?

The Presidio of Monterey has a high demand for housing and there is a minimum waiting list of 90 days for new arrivals in need of family housing. Off-base housing is expensive and advice from the Presidio official site includes a recommendation that military members PCSing to the area with families should delay moving the family to the area until housing has been secured on or off post.

What is the mission of the Presidio of Monterey?

The primary mission at the U.S. Army Garrison Presidio Of Monterey is the operation of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. There are support units, naturally, but the focus of this military installation is the schoolhouse and the language training that happens there.

How to make an appointment at the Presidio?

Make an appointment by calling (866) 957-2256. Child Care. Those stationed at the Presidio in need of child care should contact the Monterey Road Child Development Center to learn how to register your child. There is a mandatory orientation that at least one parent must attend as a condition of admission.

Where is the Presidio of Monterey?

Surrounding Area. The Presidio of Monterey is located on the Pacific coast, approximately 117 miles from San Francisco, California. Whale watching is one of the more unique local things to do in the area, and you can learn plenty about the local seagoing wildlife thanks to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Who occupied the Presidio?

Originally occupied by the Ohlone, a Native American tribe, the site came under the control of Spain (which gave it the name Presidio, meaning fortified military settlement) and then Mexico before the United States took possession in 1846. By the end of the 19th century, it was one of the largest Army bases in the country.

How big is the Presidio?

The 1,491-acre Presidio, on the San Francisco peninsula, is the largest open space within the city limits. It comprises an extraordinary collection of buildings in a variety of sizes and architectural styles that reflect the hierarchy of the military and the base’s development over two centuries.

Why are decommissioned military bases coming back to life?

All across the country, decommissioned military bases are coming back to life for peaceful purposes as a result of the Department of Defense’s deactivation of surplus military facilities , begun after the Cold War. In some cases, the land has become available for private development.

When did the Presidio become a national park?

A decade later, it created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and declared that the Presidio would join the park should the Army ever leave, which it did in 1994.

When is the 50th anniversary of the Presidio?

On October 14, 2018 , this former army base in San Francisco will be the site of a special 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Presidio Mutiny, with a few of the original Presidio 27 in attendance. Stay tuned for details.

What are the murals in the attic of a military building?

In one room, the murals depict scenes from military life: soldiers crouched in combat, donning gas masks, and cleaning weapons and darning socks during downtime. In another are depictions of civilian life in charcoal.

Overview

History

Presidio visitor centers

Crissy Field Center

Tunnel Tops park

Timeline

See also

External links