PHA EVENTS
April 22, 2023 | PHA ANNUAL MEETING WITH LECTURE BY HISTORIAN JOHN MARTINI
PHA invites you to our 2023 Annual Luncheon. A gathering where we reunite with members and friends of the Presidio, vote on our board of directors, and enjoy some delicious treats.
This year we are so pleased to present a lecture by San Francisco historian John Martini on “Alcatraz: Civil War Symbol of Union Might”
Few visitors today realize that Alcatraz began its grim history as the site of the largest U.S. fort west of the Mississippi. Unique in its design among America’s “Third System” forts, work began in 1853 and was rushed to completion in six years. Never challenged in battle, Alcatraz’ fortifications expanded in the post-Civil War, then waned as the island’s role as a military prison overtook its defensive purpose. In this illustrated talk, John Martini will explain the strategic importance of Alcatraz, its evolving fortifications and ordnance, and conversion to a Disciplinary Barracks at the dawn of the 20th century. Also included are rare views of seldom-seen underground views of former fortifications.