Pier 70 (San Francisco)

Pier 70 (San Francisco)
Name	Pier 70
Caption	Historic industrial waterfront complex on San Francisco Bay
Location	Potrero Point, San Francisco, California, United States
Built	1880s–1910s
Architect	Union Iron Works; Matthew Turner (ship designer); Herman A. Galt (engineer)
Architecture	Industrial, Beaux-Arts, Victorian industrial
Governing body	National Trust for Historic Preservation; San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
Designation	Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Pier 70 (San Francisco) Pier 70 is a historic shipyard and industrial complex on the eastern waterfront at Potrero Point in San Francisco, California. The site served as a major center for shipbuilding, repair, and heavy industry from the 19th century through the 20th century, contributing to maritime operations for Pacific Mail Steamship Company, Matson Navigation Company, and the United States Navy. In the 21st century Pier 70 has been the focus of preservation, adaptive reuse, and cultural revitalization efforts involving public agencies and private developers.

History

The site originated in the 19th century during the expansion of San Francisco Bay maritime commerce, connected to enterprises such as Union Iron Works, William Henry Webb, Pacific Mail Steamship Company, Matson Navigation Company, and innovators like Matthew Turner. During the Spanish and Mexican eras the broader Potrero Point area lay near land grants such as Rancho Rincon de las Salinas y Potrero Viejo, later transitioning through municipal development tied to San Francisco growth and the California Gold Rush. Industrial expansion accelerated with the arrival of steelworks and rail connections associated with Central Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Railroad, and shipyards supporting transpacific lines to Hong Kong, Manila, and Honolulu. Pier 70 facilities contributed to wartime production during the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II, servicing vessels for United States Navy and commercial operators like Greyhound Corporation. Postwar decline in heavy industry paralleled shifts tied to the Containerization revolution and deindustrialization seen in other American port cities such as Baltimore and Newark. In 2006 preservationists, developers, and municipal agencies undertook landmark nominations leading to designation on the National Register of Historic Places and engagement with entities including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.

Architecture and Facilities

Pier 70's built environment features large industrial halls, foundries, machine shops, and waterfront cranes reflecting styles including Victorian industrial engineering, Beaux-Arts offices, and early 20th-century reinforced concrete exemplified by designers and builders associated with Union Iron Works and contractors who worked with firms like Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. Notable facilities include long-span steel trusses, brick boiler shops, heavy forging shops, and slipways capable of accommodating ocean-going steamers flagged by companies such as Matson, Pacific Mail, and Hamburg America Line. The complex historically integrated rail infrastructure from Southern Pacific Railroad and heavy-lift equipment similar to those used at Pearl Harbor and Port of Los Angeles, while administrative buildings echoed civic architecture similar to that of San Francisco City Hall and industrial sites like Bethlehem Shipyards on the East Coast.

Shipbuilding and Industrial Use

From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century Pier 70 and adjacent yards built and repaired a wide array of vessels, ranging from clipper-derived sailing craft linked to Matthew Turner designs to steel steamships serving Matson Navigation Company, Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and military auxiliaries for the United States Navy and Maritime Commission. Ship classes and projects at the yard intersected with national programs including Emergency Shipbuilding Program efforts and contracts related to Liberty ship concepts, as well as commercial construction for lines like Dollar Steamship Company and American President Lines. Heavy industrial operations on-site included ironworking associated with firms like Union Iron Works and machine shop activity comparable to that at Bethlehem Steel complexes, supporting regional aerospace suppliers and naval infrastructure during mobilizations for World War II.

Redevelopment and Preservation

Beginning in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, advocates from organizations such as Preservation Action, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and local groups engaged with public bodies including the San Francisco Planning Department and San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to develop adaptive reuse plans. Redevelopment proposals involved private developers, community stakeholders, and tenants including cultural institutions and tech firms similar to those occupying repurposed waterfront properties in Mission Bay, Embarcadero, and Fort Mason. Preservation efforts emphasized retaining character-defining features consistent with guidelines from the National Park Service Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and projects sought to balance office, research, light industrial, and arts uses following examples from adaptive reuse at Tobacco District and Docklands conversions in London and Liverpool.

Notable Structures and Artworks

Key structures at the complex include the 1880s-era boiler shop, the 1917 Drydock and Machine Shop buildings, the former Union Iron Works office, and heavy equipment such as historic steam cranes comparable to those preserved at Albany Bulb and Crocker Galleria. Artworks and public commissions associated with redevelopment have involved artists and cultural organizations paralleling commissions at sites like Yerba Buena Gardens and SFMOMA satellite projects, as well as interpretive exhibits curated by institutions like the California Historical Society and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Current Use and Cultural Events

Today the Pier 70 complex hosts a mix of commercial, cultural, and maritime-oriented tenants, drawing parallels to mixed-use waterfront districts like Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. The site supports events, performances, and festivals involving local partners such as arts nonprofits and educational institutions akin to San Francisco State University collaborations, and has been used for film and photo productions connected to the broader San Francisco film industry. Continued stewardship involves coordination among preservation organizations, developers, and municipal entities to maintain access to the waterfront, interpretive programming, and adaptive reuse consistent with the site's industrial heritage.

Category:San Francisco Bay Area Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California Category:Shipyards in California