Fog sky coastal portrait from Golden Gate Bridge brick Fort Point looking east towards bluffs above Marine DRive, San Francisco
An information board at Fort Point reads: 'Fort Point is the only brick fort on the West Coast of the United States. Built by the United States Army between 1853 and 1861, it defended the San Francisco harbor against invasion by foreign powers. This fort is a classic example of early 19th century coastal fortifications. The Civil War broke out shortly after the fort's completion. Advances in technology during the war, such as rifled artillery and iron-clad ships, made it less effective as a defense. Still, it defended the harbor another thirty years before the fort's cannons were removed in the 1890s. In the 1930s engineers used Fort Point as their Headquarters when building the Golden Gate Bridge. Then, during World War 2, it defended the harbor against enemy submarines. In 1970 Congress made Fort Point a National Historic Site, part of the National Park System.' Three tiers of casemates (vaulted rooms housing cannons) rise above the parade ground. There was also a roof-top barbette tier, with additional guns and a sod covering to absorb the impact of enemy cannon fire. Fort Point never fired its guns in anger. The building of the Golden Gate Bridge threatened Fort Point with demolition, but the engineers decided to incorporate the historic fort into the bridge design by building a large arch over it. In summer warm air over California's Central Valley rises, creating low pressure, which draws in cool air from the cold waters offshore. The warm air overriding the cold air is cooled to its dewpoint, forming coastal advection fog, seen here. In the 1870s, San Francisco harbour defences were updated by building a system of earthworks on the bluffs around the Golden Gate, including Battery East, with underground ammunition magazines, in the background of this shot. The 1920s airfield site of Crissy Field lies in the far background.
Size: 2553px × 3830px
Location: Golden Gate Bridge above Fort Point, looking east to Crissy Field, San Francisco, California, USA
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: advection, american, battery, bluffs, brick, bricks, bridge, california, civil, coast, coastal, defences, drive, east, fog, fort, fortifications, francisco, gate, golden, grey, harbour, historic, marine, misty, point, portrait, red, san, sea, sky, urban, usa, war-era, water, waterfront
