Page 32 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

Figure 6. Army Post and Depot, Yerba Buena Island. 1871.
Note: Photograph taken from mid-island looking towards east point. East cove is located to the right of
the Hospital (originally Dowling's House). Refer to Figure 7, locator "D" for orientation.

After the Artillery detachment left Yerba Buena Island in 1879, over a decade passed before the
government once again returned in 1891. This time, the government decided that a Torpedo
(Mine) Station should be installed on Y erba Buena Island under the US Army Coast Artillery
Corps command. With the location of the island providing a commanding view of the entrance
to the San Francisco Bay and protection from the ocean fogs, it was determined that the island
would be perfect for the Torpedo Station as well as a gup. emplacement which would deal with
any undesirable ship that made it past the guns at Fort Mason. (Ref. B.)

The Torpedo Station, built in 1891 on the northeastern point of the island, included: a Torpedo
(Mine) Assembly building, a Storehouse, a Wharf, and Officer's Quarters. Today, the Officer's
Quarters, Storehouse, and Wharf are gone, but the Torpedo (Mine) Assembly building still
stands under the eastern approach of the Bay Bridge. The Navy proposed razing the assembly
building for the Bay Bridge construction in the mid-1930's, but the Army which owned the
building, refused to destroy it without a replacement. Consequently, the Torpedo (Mine)
Assembly building, today known as Building 262, remains intact. Included in the Congressional
appropriation to build the Torpedo Station was the idea of building a war college on Yerba
Buena Island; however, there is no evidence that the college was ever built. (Ref. W). During
1892, Yerba Buena Island and the Torpedo Station were turned over to the Army Corps of
Engineers. The Corps retained jurisdiction until the Navy arrived on the island in 1898. The
Army and the Navy were joint tenants on the island until the Army departed in 1960.

September 1, 1995 Historical Study ofYerba Buena Island, 1-9
Treasure Island, and their Buildings