Historic India Basin Shipwright Cottage needs our help

900 Innes Ave in the 1970s (Photo: SF Planning)

The historic Shipwrights cottage at 900 Innes Avenue, which was given landmark status by the City as landmark #250, is threatened by neglect and disrepair.  Despite many, many, complaints the owner has refused to maintain this building and the elements have taken their toll. 

Read more about the building and its history at Curbed SF.

At long last the Building Department is holding a hearing on this situation and we need you to come out and let the city officials understand how folks in the Bayview feel about such blighted conditions, especially for a landmark such as this. 

The hearing will be at:

Department of Building Inspection

1660 Mission Street, Room 2001

Tuesday February the 5th at 9:30 AM.

If at all possible please attend this important hearing. If you can't, but still want to stand up for this historic landmark, you may send a letter to: 

The elements - and vandals - have taken their toll on
900 Innes Ave. [Photo: Bluoz]

DBI Director

1660 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94103 

or you may e-mail the Hearing Officer; Mr Neil Friedman, neil.friedman@sfgov.org

Circa 1870, the Italianate cottage at 900 Innes Avenue was the centerpiece of the wooden boat building activity then flourishing on San Francisco’s southern waterfront. For the next 130 years the unchanged 

Shipwright’s House and surrounding buildings—including a blacksmith shop and a water tower—were at the heart of union boat building, called shipwrighting, on India Basin.  

Among the boats built here: the scow schooner fleet including the Alma, now a tourist attraction at the National Maritime Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, Jack London’s adventure boat the Snark, and WWII Victory launches.  

In 2005 the Hunters Point Shipwright’s House became San Francisco Landmark #250. Since that time the owner has allowed a tree to punch a hole in the roof, windows and doors destroyed and the weather is slowly rotting this treasure.