Presidio Visitor Center California Heritage Council Award

Date: June 26, 2017
Contact: Sonja Hanson, [phone]

The Presidio Trust, National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy were honored by the California Heritage Council (CHC) with an Award of Recognition for the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of Building 210, the William Penn Mott, Jr. Presidio Visitor Center.

“The Presidio Trust and our partners are honored to receive this outstanding award from the California Heritage Council,” said Christina Wallace, Senior Project Manager for the Presidio Trust, “I am very excited that our rehabilitation efforts in the Presidio have been recognized for the fourth time by the CHC. This award represents the continued work of the Trust to rehabilitate our historic buildings, which allows us to welcome new people to the park.” The Presidio Officers’ Club was awarded by the CHC in 2015, and both the Inn at the Presidio and Building 103, the Trust’s headquarters, in 2016.

Since its grand opening in February, the new Presidio Visitor Center has hosted over 44,000 visitors, representing a major milestone for the Presidio’s transformation from a military post into a new kind of national park. Originally built in 1900 at the north end of the Main Post as a guardhouse and prison, the Visitor Center (Building 210) contained cells to hold prisoners convicted of violating military laws and regulations. After 1951, Building 210 was used as a travel agency, bank and a U.S. Post Office. Now, the unique, state-of-the-art William Penn Mott, Jr. Presidio Visitor Center is a platform for discovery, using inspiring video, engaging exhibitry, interactive tools, and knowledgeable staff to help visitors uncover the incredible array of experiences that are possible at the Presidio. It is the park’s new “front door” and the launching pad for the ultimate Presidio adventure.

Construction on the $5 million project began June 2016 with architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and exhibit designer Macchiatto, which was made possible through generous gifts from the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and the William Penn Mott, Jr. Memorial Fund. The design of the new Presidio Visitor Center restores the historic two-room layout and the distinctive look of the guard and prison areas including preserving the original wood floors and ceilings under the new, contemporary finishes in both the north and south room. The construction of the William Penn Mott, Jr. Presidio Visitor Center was a significant partnership between the three partner agencies: the Presidio Trust, the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

The Board of Directors of California Heritage Council, also awarded Fisk House, Mitchell House, Progress Through, Strand Theater, Sturgeon’s Mill, and Wheeler House. All were recognized at the June 22nd Annual Awards Dinner, the CHC’s 58^th year of award presentations for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites.

The California Heritage Council is a non-profit, educational organization and the oldest historic preservation organization in California. Its purpose is to call public and professional attention to sites in need of preservation and to recognize, by bestowing annual awards, important historical sites and the people instrumental in their preservation.