History
The first California legislature on February 18, 1850, passed an act establishing the boundaries of San Francisco County and naming the island after the former name of the city of San Francisco, Yerba Buena, which was changed in 1847.
Officially, the island was Yerba Buena Island until 1895, when on a decision by the United States Board on Geographic Names, it was changed to Goat Island. During the gold rush, a large number of goats were pastured on the island, and the name "Goat Island" came into popular use. It was changed back to Yerba Buena Island on June 3, 1931.
The idea of a military post on Yerba Buena Island originated during the Civil War, when it was feared a raiding Confederate warship could slip past Fort Point and Alcatraz during a foggy night. However, it was not until the 1870s that Camp Yerba Buena Island was completed, including a fog signal and octagonal lighthouse called Yerba Buena Light (1875) that remain today. Just before the turn of the 19th to 20th century, the first U.S. Naval Training Station on the Pacific Coast was established on the north east side of the island. Quarters One, also known as the Nimitz House, was built about 1900 as the commandant's residence. Its Classic Revival style, fashionable for private residences in the Bay Area at the time, was unusual for naval base housing. The training station closed after World War I.
During World War II, Yerba Buena Island fell under the jurisdiction of Treasure Island Naval Station, headquarters of the 12th Naval District. Built on the shoals of Yerba Buena Island, the 403-acre (163 ha) Treasure Island was a Works Progress Administration project in the 1930s. After hosting the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, the United States Navy deemed Treasure Island an ideal location for transporting people and machines to the Pacific theater, and on April 1, 1941, established Treasure Island Naval Station which also included a portion of Yerba Buena Island. Quarters One became the residence of the Commander of the Naval Base. Several other buildings used by the Naval Station during World War II also remain on the island, including the senior officers' quarters and Buildings 83, 205 and 230.
In 1996, the naval base and the Presidio of San Francisco were decommissioned, and opened to public control, under stipulations. Quarters One is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Atop YBI stands an old wooden tower, built c. 1917 as a signal tower for ships in the bay. Originally the tower had no roof. In the 1940s, the tower was jacked up onto a new cement foundation and used by the US Navy as a control tower for seaplanes. Most recently the tower was used by the US Navy as an Officers' Club (a bar) for aviators — The Tower Club. The Tower Club was condemned after the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It has stood in ruins since then. The view from the top of the tower is one of the best in the San Francisco Bay, but unfortunately it's closed to the public. The tower's destiny is unclear; it's not a registered historical landmark, so it's subject to being destroyed as YBI is redeveloped for commercial use.
Read more about this topic: Yerba Buena Island
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