Presidio Architecture

The Presidio of San Francisco represents one of the finest collections of military architecture in the country and reflects over 200 years of development under three different nations. Today, the Presidio boasts more than 790 buildings, of which 473 are historic and contribute to the Presidio's status as a National Historic Landmark District. The building types range from elegant officers' quarters and barracks to large, industrial warehouses, administrative headquarters, air hangars, major medical facilities, and stables. This rich diversity of architectural styles signifies specific building campaigns that narrate the story of the Presidio's growth into a significant western United States Army post. Whole streetscapes of historic buildings are still intact, as well as unique, individual buildings that are significant in their own right. Together, the number and variety of building types collectively function as a small city.

These officers' quarters were built on Infantry Terrace in 1910.

The Presidio was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1962 for its national historical significance. The entire district's period of significance spans from 1776 to 1945 and includes historically significant sites, buildings, structures, objects, archeological resources, road corridors, and landscape features. In 1993, a National Historic Landmark Update was completed and includes a comprehensive listing of all Presidio features and a determination of their significance as contributing or non-contributing resources to the Presidio's landmark status. The Presidio's landmark status is not based upon individually important buildings, but rather a collection of diverse buildings and structures representing the many layers of military architecture preserved at this one site.

Click here to explore the History of Military Architecture at the Presidio.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES AT THE PRESIDIO

There are nine prevalent architectural styles found at the Presidio. Presidio buildings often defy strict stylistic descriptions. The architectural styles reflected are often less elaborate interpretations of the more pure, civilian versions. Different building elements were often intermingled, resulting in eclectic styles.

	Greek Revival (1840 - 1860) and Italianate (1860 - 1880)
	Queen Anne (1880 - 1890)
	Colonial Revival (1880 - 1940)
	Mission Revival (1910 - 1940)
	Mediterranean and Italian Renaissance Revival (1920 - 1940)
	World War II -Era (1940-1945)
	Post -War Era/Modern (1945 to the present)
	Utilitarian Style (1860 to the present)
	Eclectic Anomalies

THE PRESIDIO TODAY

Due to the tremendous range of building types and styles at the Presidio, a visitor can easily trace the post's many layers of history, with Colonial Revival barracks adjacent to Mission Revival administration offices, beside modern utilitarian structures. Many of the buildings have experienced physical changes over time as buildings designed for specific military activities were converted into new uses during peacetime. For example, several of the Main Post and Fort Winfield Scott barracks, designed to house soldiers, have been rehabilitated into offices and the Main Post guard house was converted into a post office.

The goal for building rehabilitation projects at the Presidio is to preserve this rich collection of buildings types and range of styles. According to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), all buildings contributing to a National Historic Landmark must be preserved and rehabilitated in accordance with National Park Service policy and The Secretary of Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. These standards ensure that any modification proposed to either the interior or the exterior of the building must present the least possible loss of historic building material and must preserve the historic character of the building.

Rehabilitated gallery corridor connecting buildings in the Thoreau Center
for Sustainability. Corridor slopes downhill away from camera position.

Exciting new rehabilitation projects are presently underway. The historic Letterman Hospital, built in 1900, has been rehabilitated into offices for the Thoreau Center for Sustainability, an organization that fosters science, research and education. The original features of the historic clinic buildings were preserved and the floor plans were only slightly modified to accommodate new office use. The two post gyms and swimming pool have been rehabilitated, upgraded and made handicap accessible for new use by the YMCA. Several other successful rehabilitation projects throughout the Presidio illustrate how historic and non-historic buildings, in an urban National Park setting, can be re-used for new and innovative uses.

RESOURCES

For more in-depth information on the Presidio buildings, please consult:

Defender of Gate; Presidio Historic Resource Study (NPS, July 1997)

Guidelines for Rehabilitating Buildings at the Presidio of San Francisco (NPS, March 1995)

The National Historic Landmark Update/Presidio National Register of Historic Places Registration Forms (NPS, October 1993)

These documents are available for research at the Presidio Visitor Center Library, call 415-561-4323 to arrange access, or they are available for copying at the Park Archives and Records Center, located at Building 667, Cowles Street (415-561-4807).