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Free Traveling Guides » States » California » San Francisco
Fort Point
Fort Point was built by the US Army in 1861 in part to protect the San Francisco Bay from a military attack and in part to protect gold shipments. It is made of brick and granite. The fort soon became obsolete as its 10-foot (3 m) thick brick walls were not strong enough to protect it against more modern artillery. As a result, it was closed in 1900, never having been attacked.
Due to its sturdy construction, Fort Point survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It was nearly torn down in the 1930s to make way for construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, but chief engineer Joseph Strauss chose a narrower design for the bridge in order to save the fort. In 1970, President Nixon declared the fort a National Historic Site. The fort now houses a military history museum.
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