Presidio of San Francisco in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Bachelor Officers' Quarters: Pershing Hall
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 2, 2021
1. Bachelor Officers' Quarters: Pershing Hall Marker
Inscription.
Bachelor Officers' Quarters: Pershing Hall. . "The bachelor officer leads a happy and enviable existence. His quarters exhibit a singular medley of luxury and slouchiness, elegance and homey comfort. He is much given to the adornment of his domicile, but comfort goes before beauty, and although his walls are hung with well chosen pictures and rare articles of bric-a-brac adorn brackets and tables, his slippers repose on a portfolio of engravings, his boots occupy à corner of the lower shelf of his bookcase. …" , Alta California, August 16, 1885, This location always housed bachelor officers' quarters (BOQS). The first structure on this site was a wood frame Victorian building nicknamed "The Corral." When it burned in 1899, it was replaced by this brick building. Pershing Hall was built in 1904 and introduced the Georgian Revival style to the Presidio. It is distinguished by a classically detailed, two-story porch with wooden Tuscan columns. It housed sixteen unmarried officers in two-room suites with private baths. There were also dormitory rooms with shared baths in the rear wing. The building follows standard plans issued by the Office of the Quartermaster and is similar to college buildings of the period. Today it serves the general public as Inn at the Presidio., Captions , Top left: A rare cyanotype photograph of an officer's bedroom in "The Corral" in about 1887. Officers were responsible for providing their own uniforms, side arms and personal items. Park Archives , Top right: The previous Bachelor Officers' Quarters on this site was nicknamed "The Corral." Society of California Pioneers , Bottom left: Pershing Hall in the 1950s when it was the Sixth Army Billeting Office. Robert W. Bowen Family Collection , Bottom right: The 1904 quarters were named in honor of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, the commander of the U.S. Expeditionary Force in France in 1917 during World War I. Park Archives
"The bachelor officer leads a happy and enviable existence. His quarters exhibit a singular medley of luxury and slouchiness, elegance and homey comfort. He is much given to the adornment of his domicile, but comfort goes before beauty, and although his walls are hung with well chosen pictures and rare articles of bric-a-brac adorn brackets and tables, his slippers repose on a portfolio of engravings, his boots occupy à corner of the lower shelf of his bookcase. …" — Alta California, August 16, 1885
This location always housed bachelor officers' quarters (BOQS). The first structure on this site was a wood frame Victorian building nicknamed "The Corral." When it burned in 1899, it was replaced by this brick building. Pershing Hall was built in 1904 and introduced the Georgian Revival style to the Presidio. It is distinguished by a classically detailed, two-story porch with wooden Tuscan columns. It housed sixteen unmarried officers in two-room suites with private baths. There were also dormitory rooms with shared baths in the rear wing. The building follows standard plans issued by the Office of the Quartermaster and is similar to college buildings of the period. Today it serves the general public as Inn at the Presidio.
Captions Top left: A rare cyanotype photograph
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of an officer's bedroom in "The Corral" in about 1887. Officers were responsible for providing their own uniforms, side arms and personal items. Park Archives Top right: The previous Bachelor Officers' Quarters on this site was nicknamed "The Corral." Society of California Pioneers Bottom left: Pershing Hall in the 1950s when it was the Sixth Army Billeting Office. Robert W. Bowen Family Collection Bottom right: The 1904 quarters were named in honor of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, the commander of the U.S. Expeditionary Force in France in 1917 during World War I. Park Archives
Erected by National Park Service and The Presidio Trust.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location. 37° 47.827′ N, 122° 27.46′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Presidio of San Francisco. Marker is at the intersection of Moraga Avenue and Hardie Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Moraga Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 42 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco CA 94129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 2, 2021
2. Bachelor Officers' Quarters: Pershing Hall Marker
Marker is visible just above the hedge, to the right of the stairwell.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 122 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
