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Harbor Defenses of San Francisco

Fort McDowell – Angel Island
April 2006

Coast Defense Study Group

CDSG REPRESENTATIVE SITE VISIT REPORT

Date of Visit: Weekly/ Continuous throughout the year since 2004

Current Site Name: Angel Island State Park

Site Use: Park (recreation)

Is the Site open to the Public? : YES
Dates and Hours of Operation: Access only by ferry from Tiburon, San Francisco, or by privately owned boats, docking available. Open 7 days a week year round, sunrise to sunset

What type of programs are offered at the Site?:
Living History: Educational Living Program. 7th grade schools reenact Civil War living on Angel Island during the 1860s.
Tours: Docent led tours. Sites open with docents on site.
Museum Shop: none, small book/gift shop only
Restoration Projects?: No, only rehabilitation and maintenance.

Are there events that the Site would like to have advertised in the CDSG
Newsletter:?
Event:
Description:
Dates/Times:

What is the overall condition of the Site?: Very good

What is the condition of the Individual Elements?:
Batteries: Batteries Drew, Wallace in very good condition. Battery Ledyard is unstable and slowly sliding toward the bay. (still open to visitors)
Buildings:
Other Elements: Perles beach mine casemate in excellent condition. Secondary fire control station destroyed, some walls standing.

What is the protective status of the Site?:
National Park:?
National Register?:
State or Local Historic Site?: Entire island protected by California Department of Parks and Recreation.
None?:

Current Site Owner(s): California State Parks
Current Site Supervisor: Dave Mathews, Superintendent

Is the Site or a responsible individual at the site a CDSG member? : Yes

What information can the CDSG provide to the management of the site?: Membership material ? poster and membership material.

Are there any projects at the Site that would benefit from CDSG funding?: Possible interpretive signs for Battery Wallace, Drew, and Ledyard.

Is there anyone at the Site that would submit material for the CDSG Journal?: Possibly in the future

Any Special Situations at the Site: (Damage, Imminent Destruction, Etc.) Perles beach mine casemate recently exposed after decades of being hidden by brush. Casemate sits next to busy trail to beach, possible graffiti and other damage imminent.

If individual batteries, base-end stations, buildings, etc. are in some way significant, please indicate: Perles beach mine casemate in pristine condition and could remain that way if secured and open only for docent led tours.

Web pages:

State Park site: www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=468

Angel Island Association site: www.angelisland.org