San Francisco Fire Department, Pumping Station No. 2, Van Ness Avenue at Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Significance: A well preserved, representative example of an early 20th century Steam powered water pumping station. The site also retains historical significance because of its associations with the city's fire fighting system. It was built to help insure that San Francisco would not be subject to devastating fires such as those that occurred after the 1906 earthquake. / Pumping Station Number 2 is of local historical significance in the categories of Engineering and Community Planning. It represents innovative planning and innovative design of an "earthquake-proof" fire fighting system for San Francisco which is auxiliary to the domestic water supply system. While the entire system is unquestionably of local historical significance in the above categories, the greatest part of it consists of underground piping, hydrants, cisterns, reservoirs, fireboats, another pumping station and other facilities throughout the city on city land. This nomination addresses only that portion of the system located on Federal land, specifically Pumping Station No. 2. This station, and the whole system, represent an outstanding achievement in engineering and community planning in San Francisco's history. (NR Nomination)
Survey number: HAER CA-1
Building/structure dates: 1912 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 76000177