Building 64 stands just above the Alcatraz dock, the first major structure visitors pass after leaving the ferry. Its lower brick floors were part of the island's harbor-defense fortifications before the upper levels became military barracks.
Details
- Type
- Historic Site
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Fortification
The lower brick portion of Building 64 belonged to the Army's harbor defenses for San Francisco Bay. The large square openings in the brick wall served as gun ports, positioned to cover the water near the island's landing. This section dates to the fortress period, when Alcatraz was the most heavily armed post guarding the bay.
Barracks and housing
The Army later expanded the structure upward and used the upper floors as barracks for soldiers stationed on the island, including those guarding military prisoners. After the Bureau of Prisons took control in 1934, the open barracks were subdivided into apartments that housed correctional officers and their families during the penitentiary years.
Today
Building 64 now holds visitor services and exhibits near the dock. Because it is the first stop off the ferry, it sets the layered military, prison, and residential history that runs through the rest of the island.