Winehaven, California facts for kids
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Winehaven
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Building 1 (storage cellar), Winehaven
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 Location in San Francisco Bay Area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | Both sides of Stenmark Dr. between Drowly Dr. and Grays Cir., Richmond, California |
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| Built | 1907 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000658 100006694 (decrease) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 2, 1978 |
| Boundary decrease | November 15, 2021 |
Imagine a huge place that was once the world's biggest winery! That's Winehaven, a special spot in Richmond, California. It was the largest winery for 12 years, from 1907 to 1919. Later, it became a fuel storage area for the United States Navy.
After the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed much of the city, a company called the California Wine Association needed a new home. They chose a place called Point Molate, right by the water in San Pablo Bay, and started building Winehaven.
A Busy Winery Town
At its busiest, about 400 workers lived at Winehaven. This was because all the wine shipments for other countries, coastal cities, and New York sailed from the Winehaven dock. They could ship 500,000 gallons (about 1.9 million liters) of wine every month! About 40 ships sailed to New York each year.
However, the winery had to close in 1919 because of Prohibition. This was a time when making and selling alcohol was against the law in the United States. The company sold its buildings to avoid going out of business. Winehaven was mostly empty from about 1920 until the late 1930s.
A post office also operated at Winehaven from 1910 to 1925, helping the small town stay connected.
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From Wine to Fuel
The Navy bought the 412-acre (167-hectare) site in 1941. They moved into the old winery buildings and built 20 large concrete tanks on the hills above. This new area became a fuel depot. Thousands of fuel drums were stored in huge buildings, and new pipelines were built. A new pier was also constructed, and the old one was eventually removed.
The old Winehaven Hotel was used as a place for Navy members to sleep and eat. The houses where the winery workers used to live were fixed up for Navy families. The person in charge of the Naval Fuel Depot lived in the largest house on the bluff, which used to be the home of the winery's superintendent.
Winehaven's Historic Buildings
Even though the site changed from making wine to storing fuel, many of the original buildings look almost the same as they did during the winery days. There are 35 buildings in the historic district that were built between 1907 and 1919.
The most famous building is the castle-like Winehaven Building. It has special crenellated walls (like the top of a castle) and corner turrets. Also in the area is the Winemaster's House (Building 60), which became the home for the Navy's Commanding Officer. There's also the Village of Point Molate, a row of old cottages where both winery and military families lived.
The Navy continued to use the fuel depot during the Korean War and Vietnam War. It was finally closed down in 1995.
