North Waterfront in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado

1. Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex Marker

Inscription. Built in 1857, the Guardhouse is the oldest building on the island. The first line of defense against enemy landing parties, it could only be entered by crossing a drawbridge over a 15-foot deep dry moat. Two gun ports for 24-pound howitzers flanked the entrance, and firing positions for riflemen capped the roof. Alcatraz’s defenses were never tested in battle. Instead, the Guardhouse’s basement served as a prison for troublesome Army soldiers. Later uses included a military prison, library, theater, and schoolhouse.

⠸⠹⠼⠋⠤⠠⠛⠥⠜⠙⠓⠳⠎⠑ ⠈⠯
⠠⠎⠠⠽⠏⠕⠗⠞ ⠠⠤⠏⠇⠑⠭
[#6-Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex]

(Marker Number 6.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 37° 48.39′ N, 122° 24.26′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in North Waterfront. Marker can be reached from The Embarcadero south of Bay Street, on the right when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

to a 3-D topographical map of Alcatraz Island. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Pier 33, San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Military Schoolhouse (here, next to this marker); The Dock (here, next to this marker); The Post Exchange & Officers' Club (here, next to this marker); Warden’s House and Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); Barracks/Apartments (here, next to this marker); Staff Housing Area (here, next to this marker); Main Prison Building (here, next to this marker); Industrial Buildings (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

More about this marker. There is a small braille plaque on the lower left corner of the marker.
Inset Images:
The Sallyport complex in 1902, when it served as a military prison for U.S. Army convicts.
24-pound flank defense howitzers like this one guarded the Sallyport during the Civil War.
Entrance to the Sallyport, 1902. The peaked-roof building housed a library and chapel for military prisoners.

Also see . . . Alcatraz Sally Port. National Park Service

"The guardhouse was built in 1857, and contained the island's first prison, a US military stockade in the building's
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 15, 2023

2. Guardhouse & Sallyport Complex Marker
Marker is on the far right.
basement. That facility was used to house unruly soldiers and during the Civil War, Confederate spies."

(Submitted on July 18, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.