National Historic Landmark

ALMA (Scow Schooner)

San Francisco, San Francisco County, California
Listed
October 9, 1975
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000179

About this property

Alma is an 1891-built scow schooner, which is now preserved as a National Historic Landmark at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco, California. Alma is a flat-bottomed scow schooner built in 1891 by Fred Siemer at his boatyard near Shipwright's Cottage at Hunters Point in San Francisco. Like the many other local scow schooners of that time, she was designed to haul goods on and around San Francisco Bay, but now hauls people. Able to navigate the shallow creeks and sloughs of the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta, the scows' strong, sturdy hulls could rest safely and securely on the bottom and provided a flat, stable platform for loading and unloading. While principally designed as sailing vessels, scow schooners could also be hauled from the bank or poled in the shallows of the delta. Until 1918, Alma hauled a variety of cargo under sail, including hay and lumber. Thereafter she was demasted and used as a salt-carrying barge. In 1926 a gasoline engine was installed, and Alma became an dredging oyster schooner, remaining in this trade until 1957. While built and operated on San Francisco Bay, Alma is in many ways indistinguishable from scows that were launched and sailed on Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, inland rivers, and other coastal waters of the United States. No scow schooners except Alma are known to survive afloat in the United States. In 1959, Alma was purchased by the State of California and restoration commenced in 1964. She was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 10 October 1975. In 1988, she was designated a National Historic Landmark. She is now one of the exhibits of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and is to be found moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on January 26, 2005. Retrieved 2005-01-23. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park website - Alma webpage Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CA-60, "Scow Schooner ALMA, Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA", 13 photos, 7 measured drawings, 26 data pages, 1 photo caption page

Location

2905 Hyde St. (Hyde St. Pier)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California
37.81035, -122.42280

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about ALMA (Scow Schooner)

This page lists ALMA (Scow Schooner). A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your ALMA (Scow Schooner) report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

HERCULES (tugboat)
Industrial
0 mi
BALCLUTHA
Industrial
0 mi
WAPAMA
Industrial
0.1 mi
EUREKA
Industrial
0.1 mi
LEWIS ARK (Houseboat)
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was ALMA (Scow Schooner) listed on the National Register?

ALMA (Scow Schooner) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1975.

What type of historic resource is ALMA (Scow Schooner)?

ALMA (Scow Schooner) is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is ALMA (Scow Schooner) a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. ALMA (Scow Schooner) has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for ALMA (Scow Schooner)?

The period of significance for ALMA (Scow Schooner) is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near ALMA (Scow Schooner)?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near ALMA (Scow Schooner) will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in San Francisco County

Historic places, battles, and census history across San Francisco County.

Explore San FranciscoCounty ›

More historic places in California

Browse all historic places in California.

View Californiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

California history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Californiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near ALMA (Scow Schooner) will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report