Building 253 at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard was constructed between 1944 and 1947. It's 6 stories tall, contains a large gantry crane that was used to lift equipment into the top floor of the building.
Maintenance for periscopes and range finders for military ships was done in this building. It was also an electrical shop, used for Radiography Instrument Calibration as well as a gauge shop.
(From the archives, 2006)
Building 253, Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard
When I began taking photos of abandoned locations eight years ago, I always assumed there'd be a return visit to these sites and my friends and I would always talk about "the next time." But over the years, I have learned that each visit should be treated as the last because these relics can wind up inaccessible or demolished very quickly.
This photo was taken during my first visit to a beautiful glass building, a machine shop, at the former Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco back in 2006. I made a few visits over the next two years, but when the site became much more difficult to access, I never made it back to this building.
You know that feeling when everything else in life fades away, you can't stop smiling, you feel like you're floating and you never want that moment to end...that's how I feel exploring and photographing architecture and history and the forgotten past.
I vividly remember this day, back in 2009, inside Building 231 at the former Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco. It had just rained and the whole lower level was covered in a few inches of water and the reflections were extraordinary.
I think it's about time to get out and do some exploring again soon...
