Presidio Chapel Historic Structure Report - Presidio Trust

PRESIDIO CHAPEL (BUILDING 130)SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIAD. EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCEPRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO NATIONAL HISTORICLANDMARK DISTRICTNational Historic Landmarks are part of the National Register of HistoricPlaces and represent properties with the highest level of significance to thehistory of the country. In 1935, the National Historic Landmarks programwas established to identify and protect places possessing exceptional value inillustrating the nation’s heritage. In 1966 when the National Historic PreservationAct authorized the National Register of Historic Places, the National LandmarksProgram was incorporated into the National Register. National HistoricLandmarks retain a distinctive designation as historically significant propertiesdesignated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for their ability to illustrate andinterpret the history and culture of the United States. Managed by the NationalPark Service, the National Historic Landmarks Survey consists of approximately2,400 properties that all retain a high degree of historical integrity. In comparisonto the National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks onlyincludes those properties that have direct national significance. All propertieslisted as a National Historic Landmark are automatically designated on theNational Register.In 1962, the Presidio of San Francisco National Historic Landmark District wasdesignated as being significant under Criterion A (Event), Criterion C (Design/Construction), D (Information Potential) and Criterion Consideration G (Lessthan 50 Years). The Presidio is significant under Criterion A for its associationwith nearly two hundred years of military history. According to the nominationform, “From its establishment in 1776 as Spain’s northernmost outpost ofcolonial power in the New World of the Western Hemisphere, the Presidio hasserved as a military reservation. It is one of the longest-garrisoned posts in thecountry and the oldest installation operating in the American West, having playeda key role in Spain’s exploration and settlement of the Borderlands, Mexico’soccupation of the region from Texas to Alta California, and the United States’involvement not only in frontier expansion, but also in all major conflicts foughtsince the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848.”The Presidio is significant under Criterion C for its breadth of militaryarchitecture. According to the nomination form, “The Presidio’s architecturalinventory could well possess national significance as an outstanding collectionof buildings and structures representing multiple periods and styles of defenserelatedconstruction from the mid-nineteenth century through the World WarII period… In the architecture of the Presidio, the evidence of site-responsiveplanning and the widespread use of Spanish-derived styles appear to beinnovative in terms of military construction.”The Presidio is significant under Criterion D for its collection of predictedarcheological resources. The archeological resources included in this nominationinclude sites dating from 1776 to 1917. According to the nomination form,“Archeological features of the Presidio can provide, in concert with historicand other research, important contributions to the record of the Post’s social,economic, and physical history, as well as to broader issues regarding Spanishcolonial, Mexican and United States military culture and frontier adaptations.”The entire district’s period of significance spans from 1776 to 1945 andincludes historically significant sites, buildings, structures, objects, archaeologicalresources, road corridors, and landscape features. In 1993, a National HistoricLandmark Update was completed. In 2008, a National Historic Landmark updateaddressing resources dating from 1946 through 1994 (when the Presidio becamea National Park) was undertaken, and is still under review.The Presidio Chapel (Building 130) is considered a historic building and acontributor to the Presidio of San Francisco National Historic Landmark District.PART II: DEVELOPMENTALHISTORYPage & Turnbull15