I'd like some information about the building that used to be at the edge of the Lower Coastal Trail,whose foundation is near the foot of the stairs that lead down from the USS San Francisco Memorial parking lot. What was it's function, when was it built, and when was it removed?

-- Rich Harned (rharned@jps.net), January 22, 2001

Answers

Rich, This image will shed some light on it: http://206.14.7.7/multimedia/sfphotos/AAB-9150.jpg

It is a lookout station, one of the several that were/are in the vicinity.

Perhaps others have more substential information?...

-- Wolfgang Schubert (bigclifftrail@aol.com), January 22, 2001.

I can add a little to what Wolfgang wrote. The structure was a U.S. Life Saving Service lookout station, where "surfmen" kept a lookout for ships in distress. (This agency later became part of the the Coast Guard.) If the lookout on duty saw a ship in trouble, he telephoned a station where a surf boat was launched to do the actual rescue. I believe this particular structure was a substation of Golden Gate Park Lifesaving Station at the corner of Great Highway and Fulton Street.

-- John Martini (martini@slip.net), January 22, 2001.