Constructed as a barracks at Fort Winfield Scott in 1912, Building 1204 is an early example of the Mission Revival style at the Presidio (photo taken 1924-1938).

By the 1900s, the Mission Revival style was gaining popularity in the country's west and southwest. This style developed from the desire to create an architecture based on the southwest's regional historic influences, namely the Spanish Colonial mission history, rather than adopting imported design influences from the East Coast. The Army adopted the Mission Revival style in constructing the Fort Winfield Scott barracks. The style, as shown here with Building 1204, was characterized by silhouetted shapes that mimicked the old missions, with large flat stucco surfaces, often punctuated by deep windows and door openings. The exterior surface was usually devoid of any ornamental detail; the shadow patterns of the roof overhangs displayed on the walls were usually the only building decoration. The gable and hip roofs were typically sheathed with red clay tile.

A barracks at Fort Winfield Scott today.

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