Supporting the Pacific

Fort Mason at its most developed, with World War II buildings with Civil War era buildings.

circa 1951

The Port of San Francisco was already a shipping hub for the West Coast but by the early 20th century, Fort Mason was transformed from a coastal artillery post into a logistical and transport hub for the U.S. Army. The army constructed massive piers and storehouses at the waterfront to support the needs of new U.S. military outposts on the Philippines, Hawaii, and various Pacific Islands. From the 1920s through World War II, the San Francisco Port of Embarkation played a critical role in the movement of supplies and troops to the Pacific.

The U.S. Army's San Francisco Port of Embarkation headquarters, managing the port's Bay Area shipping facilities, was located at Fort Mason. The army constructed an impressive number of barracks, office buildings, warehouses and machinery shops to support the port's logistical work. To provide services for the thousands of military and civilian employees required to run this large organization, the army also constructed cafeterias, recreation halls, a movie theatre, a post library, a post office, dry cleaners and hospitality centers.