Ammunition Magazine

Ammunition Magazine. . This ammunition storage structure was erected in the summer of 1863 as part of the U.S. Army's initial development of the Main Post. It was used to securely store rifle ammunition for soldiers quartered in nearby barracks. Fort Point, and the later coastal batteries, had separate magazines for the coastal guns., If you examine the exterior you will find a cannonball embedded in the stonework on the west wall. This stone building has an interior chamber measuring 17 by 20 feet. Ventilation space was built into the stone walls and a wooden lining within the vault provided protection against possible sparks caused by metal striking the stone walls. A domed roof of lighter construction originally covered the magazine. In the event of an accidental explosion, the blast would have been exerted skyward rather than sideways. The red tile roof was added in 1941 as the post adopted a uniform Mission style of architecture., Captions , Top left: Looking west toward the whitewashed stone magazine in about 1900. The surrounding buildings were later demolished by the Army. To the right is a wood windbreak covered with vines. U.S. Army Military History Institute , Top right: The magazine was used to store the blank rounds for the daily morning-evening gun salute. Here the guns are ready for a twenty-one gun salute. Park Archives , Bottom right: Drawings for the magazine as constructed in 1863. National Archives