The U.S. Army built Fort Point between 1853 and 1861. It is built in the Third System Style of military architecture. The Fort is designed to hold 126 cannons. The fort was a location for Union soldiers during the Civil War.
The fort was decommissioned in 1886 due to the advent of Rifled Cannons. The brick fort was not an acceptable stronghold due to the power of the new cannons. The army removed all troops and around 14 years later the last cannon was removed from the fort.
During the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge city planners mulled the idea of destroying the fort. Joseph Strauss, however, felt that Fort Point was such an important part of San Francisco's history that he designed a special arch to protect the fort while providing support for the bridge. Strauss used Fort Point as his main offices during the construction of the bridge.
The Fort was recommissioned during WWII. It was fitted with spotlights as well as high powered cannons. It was the base of operations for the Submarine Net that was stretched across the mouth of the bay.
Currently it is open to the public and hosts Civil War reenactments from time to time.
Businesses
This is a National Historical Site, as of October 16, 1970.
Transportation
The Fort is accessible by most forms of transportation.
There is a small parking area for cars.
Bike access is available by trail or street.
Muni public transportation to and from Chrissy Field is available via the 28 bus.
