Torpedo Storehouse-Torpedo (Mine) Assembly Building & Long Range Accuracy Storage Building
Also known as: Building 262
Why it's listed
Building 262 is a one-story reinforced concrete structure at East Point on Yerba Buena Island, close to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Completed in 1891, it measures 158 by 72 feet, with 24-foot walls and a symmetrical Neo-Classical design featuring arched doorways and multi-light wood windows. It was built to store and assemble torpedoes, then the term for submarine mines, after earlier torpedoes rusted in storage on Alcatraz. Army engineer George Mendell first planned a brick shed, but rising brick prices led him to turn to reinforced concrete and to engineer Ernest Ransome. The walls were cast in patterned molds and tooled to resemble rusticated stone under Ransome's patented method. The San Francisco firm Percy and Hamilton may have collaborated on the design, though documentation is lacking. The building is the only surviving Army-built structure on the island, and it is a rare early example of reinforced concrete construction. It later served as a Long Range Accuracy storage facility from 1953 and is now vacant.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving building the Army constructed on Yerba Buena Island, and it records the growth of the military presence there (Criterion A). It is also a rare early reinforced concrete building and a representative work of Ernest Leslie Ransome, built with his patented stone-like wall finishing method (Criterion C).
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 08000086, listed June 11, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. of I80, Yerba Buena Island |
|---|---|
| County | San Francisco |
| Listed | June 11, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000086 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Ransome, Ernest Leslie; Ransome and Cushing; Percy, George W.; Percy and Hamilton; Hamilton, F.F. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th Century Revival: Classical Revival - Neo-Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant/not in use; original window glazing is partly covered by protective wood shutters installed by the Navy during base layaway. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.81476, -122.35940 (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 08000086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.