San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building
Also known as: Los Angeles Maritime Museum
Why it's listed
Built on the San Pedro waterfront at Berth 84, this Streamline Moderne ferry terminal was begun in 1941 and finished in 1942. It has two tiered wings and a five-story octagonal tower, with curved corners, fluted columns and glass brick windows. Half of it sits on pilings over the channel. Ferries carried commuters to Terminal Island, home to shipyards, canneries and a naval base, and thousands of sailors passed through during the war. Between 1942 and 1963, more than 7 million passengers and 70,000 vehicles crossed. Service ended when the Vincent Thomas Bridge opened. The Harbor Department kept offices in the north wing until 1975. Local residents then campaigned to save the building, and it became the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in 1980. Its significance rests on its role in port transportation and on its surviving Streamline Moderne design, which the nomination describes as rare in the port area. Original mahogany woodwork and radiators remain in the offices.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the growth of the Port of Los Angeles, because the ferry carried shipyard, cannery and naval workers to Terminal Island during and after World War II. It is also a distinctive example of Streamline Moderne design, which the nomination says is vanishing from the port area. It was designed in-house by the city and Harbor Department.
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 96000392, listed April 12, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Berth 84, Foot of 6th St., San Pedro |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | April 12, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000392 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1941-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Irvine, B. /Los Angeles Harbor Dept. |
| Architectural style | Moderne (Streamline Moderne) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Maritime History, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Houses the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, opened in January 1980 after a 1977 renovation; the north wing retains original offices and the exterior looks much as it did in 1941. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.73833, -118.27861 (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.
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 96000392.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7415118
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.