San Francisco Drydock is the largest commercial shipyard in San Francisco. It occupies the facilities from the Bethlehem Steel Company and the Union Iron Works. It is owned by the United States Marine Repair Company, which owns five major shipyards around the country. This industrial area is the largest intact industrial port site in San Francisco, and one of the oldest continuously operating civilian shipyards in the country. Union Iron Works was founded in 1850, and moved to this 23 acre yard in 1881, at which time they employed 1,300 people, building ships, bridges, mining machinery, and weapons for use in developing the West. The yard was later bought by Bethlehem Steel which built dozens of destroyers and repaired submarines here during World War II. Though the San Francisco Drydock company still repairs ships at the site, many of the original shipyard buildings are vacant or are under-utilized. The Port of San Francisco, however, has plans to redevelop much of this waterfront.
San Francisco Drydock
Visitation:
Third Street is the major thoroughfare through this area, but China Basin Street, merging into Illinois Street, is one block closer to the water. 20th Street leads off Third and Illinois into the drydock area, and to the labyrinth of streets through the old industrial area. Some streets are public in here, some are private and gated. The submarine building is a long metal shed near the water that is sometimes rented for filming, and has been used for other events such as Survival Research Lab performances.
Coordinates:
General Location:
S of San Francisco
State:
Keywords:
Archive ID#:
4910