Power House (Alcatraz)

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The Power House Alcatraz Outside 13.JPG
The Power House
View towards the Power House Alcatraz from boat.jpg
View towards the Power House

The Power House is an electrical supply building on the northwest coast of Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, New Industries Building, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block. [1] The white powerhouse smokestack and lighthouse were said to give an "appearance of a ship's mast on either side of the island". [2] "A Warning. Keep Off. Only Government permitted within 200 yards" sign lay in front of the powerhouse to deter people landing on the island at the point.

The power house is located on the front left of the picture with the white tower Alcatraz aerial.jpg
The power house is located on the front left of the picture with the white tower

Between 1939 and 1963 it supplied power to the Federal Penitentiary and other buildings on the island. The powerhouse had a tower duty station which was guarded with a "30-caliber Winchester rifle with 50 rounds of ammunition, a Colt .45 semiautomatic pistol with three seven-round magazines, three gas grenades, and a gas mask." [3]

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Alcatraz water tower

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Alcatraz Morgue

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Alcatraz Dining Hall

Alcatraz Dining Hall, often referred to as the Mess Hall, is the dining hall of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary where the prisoners and staff ate their meals. It is a long wing on the west end of the Main Cellhouse of Alcatraz, situated in the center of the island. It is connected to the block by a corridor known as “Times Square”, as it passes beneath a large clock approaching the entrance way to the dining hall. This wing includes the dining hall and the kitchen beyond it.

Wardens House (Alcatraz Island) building

The Warden’s House was the home of the wardens of the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, off San Francisco. It is located at the northeastern end of the Main Cellblock, next to Alcatraz Lighthouse. The 3-floor 15-room mansion was built in 1921 according to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area signpost, although some sources say it was built in 1926 or 1929 and had 17 or 18 rooms.

Model Industries Building building in San Francisco, California, United States

The Model Industries building or Industries Building is a three/four-story building on the northwest corner of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, USA. This building was originally built by the U.S. military and was used as a laundry building until the New Industries Building was built as part of a redevelopment program on Alcatraz in 1939 when it was a federal penitentiary. As part of the Alcatraz jail, it held workshops for inmates to work in.

New Industries Building building in San Francisco, California, United States

The New Industries Building is a building on the western end of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, USA. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, power house, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block.

Former Military Chapel (Bachelor Quarters) (Alcatraz Island) building in San Francisco, California, United States

The Former Military Chapel is a building on Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, United States. It is located next to the Sally Port and Dock and the Building 64 residential apartments. It was built in the 1920s in the mission-revival style to accommodate for the officers at the military prison on the island. The ground floor had quarters for the officers and their families who worked at the military prison and the top floor was used as a school and chapel.

Building 64

Building 64, also known as the Building #64 or the Building 64 Residential Apartments, was the first building constructed on the island of Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco, USA, entirely for the purpose of accommodating the military officers and their families living on the island. Located next to the dock on the southeastern side of the island below the Warden's House, the three-story apartment block was built in 1905 on the site of a U.S. Army barracks which had been there from the 1860s. It functioned as the Military Guard Barracks from 1906 until 1933. One of its largest apartments in the southwest corner was known as the "Cow Palace" and a nearby alleyway was known as "Chinatown".

Alcatraz Library library

Alcatraz Library was a library for inmates at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. It was located at the end of D-Block. On entering Alcatraz, every inmate received a library card and a catalog of books found in the library. An inmate would order a book by putting a slip with their card in a box at the entrance to the dining hall before breakfast, and a librarian took the order to and from their cell. The library, which used a closed-stack paging system, had a collection of 10,000 to 15,000 books, mainly left over from Alcatraz's army days.

Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)

The Recreation Yard was the yard used by inmates of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary between 1934 and 1963. It is located opposite the Dining Hall south of the end of D-Block on a raised level surrounded by a high wall and fence above it. Guard Tower #3 lay just to the west of the yard. The gun gallery was situated in the yard, mounted on one of the dining hall's exterior walls. The recreation yard faced the mainland.

Social Hall (Alcatraz) building in San Francisco, California, United States

The Social Hall, also known as the Officers' Club, was a social club located on the northwestern side of the island of Alcatraz, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. Located in close proximity to the Power House, water tower and Former Military Chapel, it formerly housed the post exchange. The club was a social venue for the Federal Penitentiary workers and their families on the island to unwind after a hard week's work dealing with America's most hardened criminals after they'd been locked up at 17:30. It was burned down by a fire of disputed origins during the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1970; leaving a shell which still remains.

Baker Beach (Alcatraz) beach on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California, United States

Barker Beach is a small beach and rocky coastal area on the west side of Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California. It lies south of the long two-story New Industries Building. During the foggy, early morning hours of Friday, January 13, 1939, five inmates - William "Ty" Martin (AZ-370), Henry Young (AZ-244), Rufus McCain (AZ-267), Dale Stamphill (AZ-435), and Arthur "Doc" Barker (AZ-268) - broke out of their D-Block cells and climbed out of a window that had its bars severed in advance, with the sabotage camouflaged with paint and putty. The five men made it to the water's edge and began to look for driftwood to build a raft. In the meantime, their absence was discovered and guards swarmed the island with rifles and machine guns. Dark figures were spotted on the western shore and guards opened fire. Stamphill was shot in the legs multiple times but recovered. Doc Barker was hit in the head and died several hours later. The remaining three inmates gave up immediately and were recaptured without injury. The beach was later named after Doc Barker by the National Park Service.

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary Island prison in San Francisco Bay

The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary or United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States, the site of a fort since the 1850s; the main prison building was built in 1910–1912 as a United States Army military prison. The United States Department of Justice acquired the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch, on Alcatraz on 12 October 1933, and the island became a prison of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in August 1934 after the buildings were modernized and security increased. Given this high security and the island's location in the cold waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay, prison operators believed Alcatraz to be escape-proof and America's strongest prison.

Alcatraz Hospital former hospital in California, United States

Alcatraz Hospital is a defunct hospital which was located on Alcatraz Island, California, US. It began operations in the 19th century while the United States Army operated Fort Alcatraz and continued to provide services after the transition to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Though Alcatraz is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the hospital is not included on the general tour.

Little Alcatraz small rock off the north-west end of Alcatraz Island

Little Alcatraz is a small rock in San Francisco Bay roughly 81 yards (74 m) off the Model Industries Building off northwest coast of Alcatraz Island. Due to its proximity to the island it is known by this name, but it was formerly known as Paul Pry Rock due to the steamer Paul Pry striking it on December 22, 1862 with some 150 men on board. On January 14, 1868, the 700 ton British ship, Oliver Cutts, struck the rock and sank. Since it is submerged at high tides, Little Alcatraz is still routinely struck by small pleasure boats.

Alcatraz Wharf

Alcatraz Wharf is located on the southeast side of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay, California, US. Classified as building number 33 of the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark, its historic name variants were "Alcatraz Dock" and "Alcatraz Pier". It is the main access point to Alcatraz. Another dock on the island's northwest side was only used for rock loading. The wharf contained many of the islands historic buildings, including Building 64, the Bombproof Barracks, Chinatown, Ranger Office, Garage, Dock Tower, Storage Vault, and Firebox #3.

References

  1. "The History of Alcatraz". Alcatrazhistory.com. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  2. MacDonald, Donald; Nadel, Ira (15 February 2012). Alcatraz: History and Design of a Landmark. Chronicle Books. p. 39. ISBN   978-1-4521-0153-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  3. Wellman, Gregory L. (28 May 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island:: 1853-2008. Arcadia Publishing. p. 40. ISBN   978-0-7385-5815-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.


Coordinates: 37°49′41″N122°25′28″W / 37.82806°N 122.42444°W / 37.82806; -122.42444