Fort Point's Civil War–era harbor defenses

Fort Point was constructed between 1853 and 1861 at the southern approach to the Golden Gate to defend San Francisco Bay with heavy seacoast artillery. It was garrisoned during the American Civil War as part of the city's defenses and was designed to resist naval attack. Although intended for combat, Fort Point never fired in anger at an enemy force and today survives as a National Historic Site beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.