Building 21 - San Diego, CA
Posted by: bluesnote
N 32° 44.548 W 117° 12.594
11S E 480335 N 3622757
A historic transformer building, now abandoned, in Liberty Station in San Diego, California.
Waymark Code: WM13069
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/18/2020
Views: 3
Taken from the NRHP nomination form, "Building 21, the former Gatehouse and Transformer Building, is a one story structure designed in 1923 by the Navy Public Works Center and constructed by Lange and Bergstrom in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with Pueblo Influences. The building has reinforced concrete spread footings and the foundation is a concrete slab on grade. The walls are constructed of hollow terra-cotta tile and stucco with a reinforced concrete frame. The roof is hipped wood timber with wood framing and clay tile and was built-up with a stucco parapet.
This structure is sited symmetrically opposite Building 20 and anchors the wrought iron arched gateway added in 1932. Originally these structures had a symbolic function and thus were designed with the most ornamental details of any buildings built during the first construction program in the 1920's. A square hipped heavy wood timber roof with red clay tile faces the entry gateway. A small tiled porch originally entered through arches, with cast stone ornamentation has since been removed. There still remains, at the gateway, ornate cast stone trimmed windows which acknowledge the base's entry point. The arcade, facing the street, created an outdoor amenity for public use. Security enclosures of concrete grills, on the west side of the arcade, were removed in 1932 and the arches enclosed with wood windows. The simple stucco exterior has many of the typical details used on all the structures built during this first construction phase such as copper scuppers, downspouts, grills, and wood windows. The west elevation's end arch contains a glazed tile fountain with a concrete grille above. A concrete bench has since been removed. Over the years small offices have been added, however, the quarry tile floors and exposed timber roof beams of the once open arcade, still remain."
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