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Keeper of the Gate: Fort Point
After the Gold Rush of 1849, San Francisco quickly became the most important city on the West Coast, prompting the U.S. Army to build Fort Point to stand guard at the Golden Gate. Originally intended to defend against a foreign invasion, the fort was rushed to completion to defend against possible Confederate attack during the Civil War. Made of brick walls seven-feet thick, it is the only fort with casemates, or protected enclosures for many cannons, on the West Coast of the United States.
One of a kind on the West Coast, Fort Point resembles brick forts built on the East Coast before the Civil War. The fort had four tiers of cannon and could house up to 126 cannon and mortars in its walls and on the roof.
With cannon capable of shooting less than two miles, defending San Francisco Bay against invading ships depended upon a crossfire strategy. Cannon at three locations would fire upon incoming ships as they passed through the Golden Gate. However, no hostile shots were ever fired. |