{"nrhp_refnum":"08000083","name":"Palace of Fine and Decorative Arts, Treasure Island","other_names":["Building 3 (including Building 111)"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SE Side of California Ave. between Avenue F and Avenue I","address_restricted":false,"city":"Treasure Island","county":"San Francisco","state":"CA","lat":37.81914618400003,"lon":-122.36590636699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large reinforced concrete former airport hangar (Building 3, including attached Building 111) on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, completed by mid 1938 on an island built by the Army Corps of Engineers; it served as the Palace of Fine and Decorative Arts at the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the best remaining buildings from the 1939-40 Golden Gate International Exposition and was one of two hangars built for the planned San Francisco airport on the site (Criterion A). It is also a highly successful example of late 1930s Art Moderne commercial architecture (Criterion C) and retains integrity to its 1938-1940 period of significance.","narrative":"Building 3 on Treasure Island is a large reinforced concrete hangar, 335 by 225 feet and 80 feet tall, with an open three-hinge riveted steel arch truss roof anchored by four tapered corner pylons. Completed by mid 1938 on the man-made island built by the Army Corps of Engineers, it was one of two hangars planned for a San Francisco airport. For the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition it became the Palace of Fine and Decorative Arts, housing more than $20 million in artwork in temporary partitioned galleries, along with an Art in Action exhibit where artists demonstrated their crafts. A curved lobby with domed ceiling and a scalloped entrance marquee recall the fair. After the Exposition the Navy altered the building, adding windows, doors and offices, and it is now vacant. It is recognized as one of the best surviving Exposition buildings and as a strong example of late 1930s Art Moderne design, associated with architects George W. Kelham and William P. Day.","period_of_significance":"1938-1940","architect_builder":"Day, William Peyton; Kelham, George William","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Art Moderne/Streamline","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function listed as vacant/not in use; historic uses included Exposition art palace, airport hangar, Navy facility and office building.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.601871-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/08000083.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000083/4a4b1c5009-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000083/4a4b1c5009-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"William B. Dewey, HABS photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_of_Fine_and_Decorative_Arts_Treasure_Island_CA1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">William B. Dewey, HABS photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_of_Fine_and_Decorative_Arts_Treasure_Island_CA1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861240","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Fine_and_Decorative_Arts","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7126232"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-francisco/palace-of-fine-and-decorative-arts-treasure-island-08000083/"}