Home > California > Oakland > Oakland Army Base, Transit Shed, East of Dunkirk Street & South of Burma Road, Oakland, Alameda County, CA
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Item Title
Oakland Army Base, Transit Shed, East of Dunkirk Street & South of Burma Road, Oakland, Alameda County, CA
LocationEast of Dunkirk Street & South of Burma Road,
Oakland, CA
Find maps of Oakland, CA
Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1968.
Notes
Survey number HAER CA-125-A
Building/structure dates:
1942 initial construction
Building/structure dates:
1979 subsequent work
Building/structure dates:
1989 subsequent work
Building/structure dates:
1992 demolished
Significance: Oakland Army Base (OARB) was planned and constructed a a time when military planners recognized that the West Coast would have a vital role in responding to Japanese aggression during World War II. OARB is significant at the local, state, and national level of significance for its role as part of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation (SFPE) during World War II. SPFE served as the center for coordination of West Coast military requirements of moving materials and troops to and from Pacific Ocean areas of operation. The logistical area of OARB, including Pier 7 which Building 161 is located, made accommodations for an increasing number of vessels during World War II and beyond. The base was organized to move, store, and ship cargo. On the eastern end of the base, rail tracks formed a marshalling yard where rail car shipments of supplies were received from the two transcontinental lines adjoining the base. From here, Army-owned diesel locomotives moved the carloads from spurlines to designated warehouses. These quarter-mile-long warehouses, designated according to type of cargo, were built at the same time as the wharves. Outbound shipments were then lifted from warehouses and open storage areas to the waterfront. Here, the shipments rested in the transit sheds temporarily until Army fork lift trucks positioned them for lifting onto ships docked at the wharves. Built for storage of materials awaiting water shipment, Building 161 had an important role in military transportation. It represent the massive mobilization effort made for the Second World War and is a rare example of a World War II wood temporary building.
Related Names
Quartermaster Corps, U.S. Army
Collection
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)
Contents
Photograph caption(s):
1. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING NORTHEAST END (FRONT) OF TRANSIT SHED, IN CONTEXT WITH LOADING YARD AND DERRICK, LOOKING WEST
2. CLOSER VIEW OF NORTHEAST END, SHOWING MAIN OVERHEAD DOORWAY
3. OBLIQUE GENERAL VIEW SHOWING EAST CORNER OF SHED, WITH RAILROAD TRACKS PASSING UNDER DERRICK ALONG WHARF
4. DETAIL VIEW OF EAST CORNER, SHOWING RECENT ADDITION OF WINDOWS TO SOUTHEAST SIDE AND RECENT CLADDING IN CONTRAST TO ORIGINAL SHIPLAP SIDING INTACT ON NORTHEAST SIDE
5. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING ORIGINAL SETTING AT WHARFSIDE WITH CONTAINERIZED FREIGHT LOADING EQUIPMENT AT PORT OF OAKLAND FACILITY
6. GENERAL WIDE VIEW SHOWING EAST (SOUTHEAST) SIDE, LOOKING WEST ACROSS TURNING BASIN; FREIGHTER LOADING IN FOREGROUND
7. GENERAL VIEW OF SOUTHEAST SIDE OF SHED, SHOWING ALL EIGHTEEN LOADING BAYS, LOOKING WEST FROM ACROSS TURNING BASIN
8. GENERAL VIEW OF SHED, LOOKING NORTHEAST ALONG STRINGER
9. GENERAL OBLIQUE VIEW OF SOUTH CORNER OF SHED WITH DERRICK AND RAILWAY PASS-TROUGH ON WHARF, LOOKING NORTH
10. WIDE GENERAL VIEW OF SHED SHOWING SOUTHWEST FACADE AND TRUCK PLATFORM/STAGING AREA AT SOUTHWEST END OF BUILDING, LOOKING NORTHWEST
11. GENERAL CLOSE-UP VIEW SHOWING SOUTHWEST END OF PIER
12. VIEW OF CANOPY OVER NORTHWEST LOADING PLATFORM, RUNNING NEARLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE BUILDING
13. DETAIL VIEW OF LOADING DOCK CANOPY, SHOWING TWIN TIMBER SUPPORT MEMBERS AND SUSPENDER BAR MOUNTING HARDWARE
14. GENERAL OBLIQUE VIEW OF WEST CORNER OF SHED, OBSTRUCTED BY LATE METAL BUILDING, LOOKING EAST
15. GENERAL VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE OF SHED, WITH AN OBLIQUE VIEW OF THE STEP-DOWN ROOF AND TWO BANKS OF CLEARSTORY LIGHTS
16. DETAIL VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE LOADING DOCKS, SHOWING SUSPENDER BARS AND ORIGINAL SHIPLAP SIDING
17. GENERAL VIEW, LOOKING NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST, SHOWING RELATIONSHIP OF TRUSS TO COLUMNS AND BAYS
18. GENERAL VIEW, LOOKING NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST, SHOWING RELATIONSHIP TO OFFICE AREA TO STAIRS
19. GENERAL VIEW, LOOKING SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST, SHOWING ENCLOSED OFFICE UNITS FLANKING OVERHEAD PORT AT NORTHEAST END OF BUILDING
20. DETAIL VIEW OF CHAIN LINK 'CAGE' AT NORTH CORNER OF SHED, LOOKING NORTH
21. DETAIL EXTERIOR VIEW OF TWO-STORY OFFICE AT NORTH CORNER OF BUILDING, SHOWING STAIRWAY, SASH WINDOWS, AND TYPICAL COLUMN WITH ROUND CONCRETE BASE
22. DETAIL INTERIOR VIEW OF OFFICE, SHOWING ORIGINAL SASH WINDOWS AND DUCT WORK (OTHER OFFICE INTERIORS ARE GREATLY ALTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL)
23. DETAIL VIEW OF COLUMN #072, SHOWING TOP LEANING TO SOUTHEAST (LEFT IN PHOTOGRAPH) WITH STEEL PIPE AS TEMPORARY SUPPORT (SEE PHOTOGRAPH NO. CA-125-A-24 BELOW)
24. DETAIL VIEW OF COLUMN #072 DEVIATING FROM VERTICAL IN ROW OF INTACT COLUMNS, LOOKING NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST. (NOTE BOLTED BLOCK SCABBED TO COLUMN AS JOIST/TRUSS SUPPORT)
25. VIEW OF EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED TRUSS MEMBER AT #070, SUPPORTED BY TEMPORARY BRACING, LOOKING NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST
26. INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING ROW OF TIMBER SUPPORT TOWERS BUILT AS TEMPORARY TRUSS REINFORCEMENT (NOTE STEEL STRUCTURES ATOP TIMBER BRACING)
27. GENERAL INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING SOUTH CORNER OF SHED WITH ONE-STORY OFFICES, SHOWING TYPICAL COLUMN BASE WITH TIMBER BOLTED TO STEEL 'L' SHOE
28. DETAIL VIEW OF OFFICE POD 'HANGING' IN UPPER SOUTH CORNER OF BUILDING
29. DETAILED INTERIOR VIEW OF OFFICE WITH WALL-MOUNTED COUNTERS AND PITCHED DISPLAY BOARDS
30. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 161 PLOT PLAN & TRANSVERSE SECTION. Sheet 1 of 16
31. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 127 STAIR & TOILET ROOM DETAILS. Sheet 3 of 16
32. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 161 TYPICAL SECTION & DETAILS. Sheet 5 of 16
33. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 127 STAIR & TOILET ROOM DETAILS. Sheet 6 of 16
34. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 127 70'0' TRUSS. Sheet 7 of 16
35. Oakland Port and General Depot. Transit Shed No. 7, 936 feet, Building 127 END WALL FRAMING. Sheet 9 of 16
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