Fort Point, San Francisco

Fort Point, built between 1853-1861, is a massive masonry fortress guarding the Golden Gate, the entrance to San Francisco Bay and, via the inland rivers, to the heart of California and its goldfields. At the time the fort was built, this was by far the most important part of all US territory on the Pacific and economically and strategically vital. The fort is the only one of its kind west of the Mississippi.

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Part of the National Park Service, Fort Point was constructed just prior to the Civil War to guard the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This was the only masonry fort built on the US west coast during this period and was never battle tested.

Much of the fort is now closed due to construction on the Golden Gate Bridge which passes directly overhead. My best photos of the Golden Gate Bridge are from the area around Fort Point.

A short scene from the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock movie Vertigo was filmed here. Other scenes from the movie include the Legion of Honor, Mission Dolores, and Mission San Juan Bautista. At one pint Madeleine says, "Old Fort Point on the Presidio... I love it there, it's beautiful there, especially after the sunset."

Fort Point was built between 1853 and 1861, at the beginning of the US Civil War, with the aim of protecting San Francisco harbor from attacks during and after that period.
Its arched casemates display the art of the master brickmason from the Civil War period.

The historic fort was used as a base of operations for building the Golden Gate Bridge.

This photo was taken from the boat and pictures Fort Point, which was built at the start of the 1861-1865 Civil War to guard the entrance to the Bay, however it was never used for any battles at all.