For anyone interested in military history, the San Francisco Presidio commands attention with its range of architectural styles that were influenced by Spanish, Mexican and American armies over a period spanning more than 200 years. Operated as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1994, the Presidio is designated a California State Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Attracting thousands of visitors each year, the Presidio is home to 469 historic buildings representing “the finest collections of military architecture in the United States,” according to the Presidio Trust, a federal agency created by Congress to manage the 1,491-acre site. “Entire streetscapes of historic buildings are intact, as well as individual buildings that are important in their own right. The Presidio’s landmark status is not based on individual buildings but rather on the entire collection of structures representing many layers of history.”
The Presidio blends historic buildings designed in Colonial Revival and Italianate styles with modern, functional buildings constructed during the World War II and post-war eras. Mission Revival design mimicking the Spanish missions with their stucco surfaces, deep windows and gabled hip roofs is the predominant architectural style used at Fort Winfield Scott, which was established as an independent coast artillery post within the Presidio in 1912. Other buildings borrowed from the Queen Anne style similar to a Victorian design, and Mediterranean Revival architecture with its stucco exterior, flat roof and large, boxy form.
The Presidio Trust manages the interior of the Presidio, while the National Park Service oversees coastal areas where fortifications spanning more than a century are still in evidence. “Today, San Francisco is thought of mainly as a picturesque tourist destination,” CNET News observed. “But for decades, it was considered America’s most valuable Pacific port and was home to a wide variety of military installations. As a result, military planners put a huge amount of energy, starting in the Civil War era, into protecting the Pacific coast from invasion or attack. And that’s why there is a treasure trove of old batteries and other remnants of original fortifications up and down the coast and around the city.”
In its heyday, Battery Spencer north of San Francisco maintained three 12-inch rifle guns until they were removed in 1943. Today, the site is known for its picturesque view of the Golden Gate Bridge, attracting thousands of tourists each year to view the California landmark. Another popular attraction is Battery Chamberlin, home of the last 6-inch “disappearing gun” of its type on the West Coast. The 50-ton rifle and its disappearing carriage were designed to retract into a protected bunker after firing to provide concealment during reloading. Under management of the National Park Service, the battery is now operated as a museum with demonstrations of the gun conducted on the first weekend of each month.
In 2009, the disappearing gun was cleaned and treated to remove corrosion to bare metal prior to application of a protective coating system from Tnemec. The project team was led by ARG Conservation Services, a licensed general contractor that specializes in conservation field projects. Prior to recoating, samples of paint from the gun were tested and the presence of lead was confirmed. “The area surrounding the gun was cordoned off with temporary chain link construction fencing,” according to the ARG report. “The lead abatement firm constructed a containment structure using scaffolding and plastic sheeting around the gun and inside the secured construction fence.”
The applicator worked in stages to remove existing coatings and to apply a primer of Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, an advanced technology, zinc-rich urethane. Next, a tie-coat of Series 27WB Typoxy, a low-odor, high-solids water-based epoxy, was applied, followed by a finish coat of Series 740 UVX, an advanced technology polyurethane that provides low volatile organic compounds with exceptional performance.
Finish colors included Insulation Grey on the gun barrel and Tnemec Billfish on the gun base assembly. “Of paramount importance was resistance to salt-laden air,” Tnemec coating consultant Glen Amos recalled. “Abrasion resistance and long-term color retention were also key design criteria. “Amos and Associates and Tnemec have been involved in numerous complex rehabilitation projects with ARG, dating back to 1986 and have a superb relationship them,” Amos added.