Station A is an abandoned portion of the still active Potrero Point Power Station; a complex of various types of power plants that dominate San Francisco’s Pier 70. The plant currently uses natural gas to supply 1/3 of San Francisco’s power. It’s also is a polluting relic that has had affected the health of nearby residents for the last 40 years. You probably know it by this huge smokestack that dominates the Central Waterfront.
Asthma and cancer rates in the surrounding neighborhoods of Potrero Hill, Dogpatch and Bayview are significantly higher the rest of the city. Fortunately, after many years of litigation, the city has reached an agreement with Mirant (current owner) to shut down the entire plant by 12/31/2010.
Image: Shawna Richardson via pier70sf.org
The Dogpatch neighborhood (formerly Potrero Point, formerly Point San Quentin) was created in the traditional San Franciscan method of making land: blast some rock out of the nearest hill and dump it in the bay. Potrero Hill gave two square miles of top quality serpentine to create a perfectly located, artificially flat, veritable mecca for heavy industry.
By 1865 Long Bridge (now 3rd st.) was completed, allowing goods to speed efficiently to and from downtown. Now cut off from the bay, the shallow intertidal marshes of Mission Bay (west of the bridge) were completely filled in.
The deep water access attracted railroads, steel mills, shipyards, and power plants. Most of the steel to build San Francisco’s downtown came from Potrero Point, they also built the first locomotives, and equipment to run the cable cars. During both World Wars, the triumvirate of Potrero, Hunter’s Point, and Alameda Shipyards were most productive in the Nation. The entire area is steeped in history.
And Station A is no exception, it opened in 1910 and was the first oil-fired electrical generating facility in the United States. Today it languishes, a 3 story brick building overlooking the only remaining active portion of Potrero Power: Unit 3.
Station A closed in 1979, leaving behind a toxic legacy that will affect the area for years to come. PCB’s seem to coat every surface of the plant. Huge turbines and gears sit frozen, never to turn again. The only dynamic portion is the plethora of graffiti that covers the three story main room (and everywhere else).
Here is the rather ingenious logo of the AQ Crew, done by Vomit (of Tuna Cannery fame). Notice the size of the guardrail in front of it, this thing is BIG.
Elser throws down:
These stairs lead to the remainder of the plant, a warren of pitch dark rooms and home to many types of local fauna (including skunks!).
This is the Conduit room, any photographer’s wet dream. Although it’s pitch black you can add a little light and the rows and rows of conduit create endless geographical shapes to capture. I wasn’t able to get a picture showing the true scale of this room but it takes at least 30 seconds to run from one side to the other. Don’t ask me why I know that. Also, a skunk lives in here but he keeps things in relatively good shape.
The control room is also fairly intact but completely covered with graffiti. A solitary chair waits for anyone brave enough to try and fire this baby up.
On the roof looking north you have a passable view of the city. That dark blob near the tree is what’s left of Irish Hill. From what I am told, Irish Hill used to host the neighborhood-wide brawls the workers would start after the bars closed. Basically the after party.
