Central Waterfront in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Building 49
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 30, 2020
1. Building 49 Marker
Inscription.
Building 49. . This simple industrial building was constructed circa 1940 during a time of shipyard modernization and expansion, as World War II raged in Europe but the U.S. had yet to be attacked. Building 49 is a simple utilitarian structure that is 152 feet long by 46 feet long, with corrugated metal-clad walls over steel frames on a concrete foundation. The long monitor in the gable roof provides natural lighting inside its open interior, and two of the original three six-ton cranes in the building remain on rails under the roof. It was connected by rail lines to shipbuilding Slips 1 and 3 as well as nearby Slip 4.
Inside, steel hull plates and numerous other ship components were galvanized, or coated with zinc, in order to reduce corrosion: a process that involved lye, sulfuric acid and muriatic acid. The dangerous nature of this process may have led to the building being sited at the very edge of the yard.
This simple industrial building was constructed
circa 1940 during a time of shipyard
modernization and expansion, as World War II
raged in Europe but the U.S. had yet to be
attacked. Building 49 is a simple utilitarian
structure that is 152 feet long by 46 feet long,
with corrugated metal-clad walls over steel
frames on a concrete foundation. The long
monitor in the gable roof provides natural
lighting inside its open interior, and two of the
original three six-ton cranes in the building
remain on rails under the roof. It was connected
by rail lines to shipbuilding Slips 1 and 3 as well
as nearby Slip 4.
Inside, steel hull plates and numerous other
ship components were galvanized, or coated
with zinc, in order to reduce corrosion: a
process that involved lye, sulfuric acid and
muriatic acid. The dangerous nature of this
process may have led to the building being
sited at the very edge of the yard.
Erected 2020 by Union Iron Works Historic District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.
Location. 37° 45.774′ N, 122° 23.231′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is
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in Central Waterfront. Marker is at the intersection of Illinois Street and 18th Street, on the right when traveling north on Illinois Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94107, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. The marker is located on the south side of Building 49 in Crane Cove Park.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 30, 2020
2. Building 49 and Marker
The Building 49 Marker is the rightmost of the four markers visible here.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 30, 2020
3. Building 49
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 12, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.