The Spanish had constructed a gun battery on this site in 1797 to protect their interests.  Once the United States evicted the Mexicans in 1848 and the Gold Rush was beginning to bring people to San Francisco from around the world, the land was designated for public use.

America's Civil War, fought between 1861-1865 caused the Army to question if it might be possible for the Confederacy to penetrate the Golden Gate and lay seige to the area.

In the midst of the Civil War, the Army evicted the "squatters" who had built homes on Black Point -- turning some of their homes into officers quarters and building additional barracks and administration buildings.