San Pedro Landmarks

San Pedro Landmarks. . , Vincent Thomas Bridge , The Vincent Thomas Bridge is considered the Port of Los Angeles' official welcoming monument. It was built in 1963 to connect Terminal Island to San Pedro, replacing municipal ferry service. , Initially there were plans to construct a tunnel under the main channel. However, in 1957 engineers concluded that a four-lane bridge could be built at only a marginally higher cost than a two-lane tunnel. , . First major suspension bridge in Southern California. , . Fourth longest suspension bridge in Southern California. , . Only suspension bridge in the world to be supported solely by piles. , Vincent Thomas, the bridge's namesake, was the son of Croatian immigrants. Born in Mississippi, Thomas and his family relocated to San Pedro when he was 10 years old. He earned a law degree from Loyola University and, in 1940, became state assemblyman for the 68th District, which included San Pedro. Thomas worked to improve the lives of his constituents by fighting for improvements to the commercial fishing industry and by supporting programs for public recreation, education, and transportation. , USS Iowa , The USS Iowa is a relatively recent addition to the Port of Los Angeles; however, military presence in the Port is not. In 1919, when President Wilson ordered the transfer of 200 Navy ships to the Pacific, San Diego Bay was too shallow for the largest ships and the only option was Los Angeles. San Pedro, thus, became home to the U.S. Navy Battle Fleet from 1919-1940. By 1934, San Pedro was home to a total of 46 Navy vessels: 14 battleships, two aircraft carriers, 14 cruisers, and 16 support ships. , Before arriving at its current home, the USS Iowa had been used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War-era. The USS Iowa was the lead ship of the last class of U.S. Navy battleships and was originally commissioned in 1943. The USS Iowa arrived in Los Angeles on July 4, 2012 and now houses the Battleship USS Iowa Museum. , Municipal Ferry Building , The Los Angeles Maritime Museum, located on 6th Street at the waterfront, is home to numerous art and historical exhibits, as well as handmade reconstructions of ships. However, before it was a museum this building housed the Municipal Ferry, which connected San Pedro to Terminal Island. Built in 1941 as a Work Progress Administration Project, the ferry was a quick means of crossing the main channel for thousands of port and shipyard workers prior to the construction of the Vincent Thomas Bridge. , The ferry building was designed by Los Angeles Harbor Department architect Derwood Lydell Irvin in the Streamlined Moderne Style. Though the exterior his been preserved, the interior was completely remodeled in order to house the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, which opened in December 1979. , Ports O’ Call Village , Ports O’ Call Village, located along the main channel of the Port of Los Angeles, was built in 1963 and contains an eclectic mixture of shops and restaurants inspired by international destinations all connected via cobblestone streets. Ports O’ Call historically contained popular food and entertainment destinations including the San Pedro Fish Market, the annual Lobster Festival, and Harbor Cruises. As part of the broader redevelopment of the Los Angeles waterfront, the Ports O’ Call complex is planned to be revitalized soon and will be renamed. , Timeline , 1906: “Shoestring strip” annexed to the city of Los Angeles. , 1915: Timm's Point Viaduct is built connecting Harbor Boulevard to Outer Harbor. , 1919 - 1940: San Pedro becomes home to U.S. Navy Fleet. , 1941: Municipal Ferry Building. , 1943: USS Iowa commissioned. , 1963: Vincent Thomas Bridge completed. , 1975: Municipal Ferry Building is put on the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments list. , 1996: Municipal Ferry Building added to the National Register of Historic Places. , 2012: USS Iowa permanently docks at Port of Los Angeles.