PARC, GGNRA

Barracks Building 602 in 1939.

The wood-frame barracks at historic Fort Baker were constructed in 1902 to house over one hundred soldiers. These buildings, built in the Colonial Revival style, were built from standard army plans, which included front porches as an elegant architectural element.   

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Building 602, as it has stood for over 50 years, without its front porch. Photo, October 2006.

In the 1950s, probably due to recurring maintenance problems, the army removed the historic porches. The removal of these two-story porches had a negative impact on the integrity and significance of the buildings and lessened their overall appearance. 

In December 2006, the National Park Service and the Fort Baker Retreat Group began the  rehabilitation project to convert Fort Baker into Cavallo Point, The Lodge at Golden Gate. The rehabilitation plan called for the post’s barracks buildings to be converted into assembly, dining and office space. The National Park Service does not traditionally add missing historic architectural elements back onto buildings unless there is sufficient historic documentation. But because the historic preservation professionals had the original 1905 building plans, as well as several historic photographs, the decision was made to re-construct new porches back onto the barracks buildings. New construction materials were used, so that in later years, future architects and historians would be able to tell the difference between the original 1905 porches and the newly added 2006 porches.  

NPS

Installation of the foundation posts, June 2007

The foundation posts for the new porches were secured in the ground with concrete. Toxic-free, pressure-treated lumber was used anywhere that the wood came into contact with soil to prevent putting any more chemicals into the ground.

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Construction at the front entrance, August 2007.

The building’s existing historic exterior walls were prepared for new construction. Carpenters covered the structural posts with white-painted veneer to replicate the original historic porches.

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Building 602, October 2007

Carpenters nailed the tongue-and-groove decking material to the floor joists. 

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Building 602, October 2007

Carpenters added wooden capitals, using the design found in the historic drawings.  

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New accessible ramp under construction at Building 601

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it was a legal requirement for the new porch design to include an accessible ramp that lead up to the front door.