Union Iron Works Turbine Machine Shop
Also known as: Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard Machine Shop
Why it's listed
Built in 1918 on the Alameda waterfront, this enormous steel-frame shop measures 552 by 164 feet and rises 85 feet. Red brick piers and spandrels frame vast industrial windows that fill about 90 percent of the wall area, and a monitor skylight lights an open central space once served by a giant overhead crane. It was designed by San Francisco architect John Reid, Jr., with engineers Hall and Snyder, to make marine turbines and engines for the Union Iron Works shipyard, later part of Bethlehem Steel. At completion it was the largest building of its type on the Pacific Coast, and it was called the finest machine shop there. The yard it served built 58 ships between 1916 and 1923, set wartime speed records, and repaired more than 1,000 vessels in World War II. The shop later fabricated structural steel. Most neighboring yard buildings have been demolished, leaving this one as a rare survivor. It has stood vacant since 1972.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the most impressive early 20th century industrial buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when built, the largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast. It is the most prominent industrial work of architect John Reid, Jr. It is also the nucleus of a shipyard that played nationally recognized roles in both World Wars and shaped the industrial development of the Alameda estuary.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000794, listed April 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2200 Webster St., Alameda |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | April 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000794 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1918) |
| Architect / builder | John Reid, Jr., architect; Hall and Snyder, engineers |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant since 1972; the building is little altered apart from replaced ground-level doors and vandalized window panes. The original crane remains in place, and the rail tracks have been removed. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.78443, -122.27314 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000794.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q136706341
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.