Imagine soldiers once stood where you are now at Battery Duncan. They operated massive guns ready to defend San Francisco Bay. This is Battery Duncan. It stands as a testament to the military history of this area.
Battery Duncan is located in Fort Baker. Fort Baker is a historic army post. The army built it between 1902 and 1910. Fort Baker represents the army’s “Endicott Period” military construction. William C. Endicott was the Secretary of War. The Endicott Period was a time of peace. The army improved its military systems.
The army constructed new seacoast fortifications between 1897 and 1905. Battery Duncan was one of these fortifications. Others included Batteries Yates, Spencer, and Kirby. The army created the Coast Artillery Corps to operate the batteries.
Battery Duncan was named after Colonel James Duncan. He was a West Point graduate. He had a distinguished record in the Mexican War. He became a Colonel in the Inspector General Department in 1849. Sadly he died that same year.
Battery Duncan had two 8-inch breech-loading rifles. The Model 1888 rifles weighed 32489 pounds each. Each gun cost $16875. There were only 93 of these guns ever manufactured. The guns were mounted on barbette carriages.
Construction of Battery Duncan began in March 1898. Workers cleared the site. They excavated 17885 cubic yards of dirt and sand. The material was soft red rock. They had to use blasting. Two shifts of men worked to excavate the site.
The first concrete was laid in April. The rough concrete was completed in May. Over 2700 yards of concrete were used. The walls were coated with paraffin paint. Earth covered the magazine. The walls were tinted to match the soil.
Battery Duncan was completed in March 1899. The engineers turned it over to the troops. The guns arrived in December. The battery was transferred on May 6 1900. The total cost was $57536.
Battery Duncan had a plotting room. It contained equipment for fire control. This included a Lewis Depression Position Finder. It also had a Whistler Hearne Plotting Board and a Pratt Range Board.
The guns of Battery Duncan were dismounted in 1917. They were shipped to the Watervliet Arsenal. The barbette carriages were sold as scrap. After that the magazines were used for storage. The latrine and other facilities were demolished in 1932. Battery Duncan was in service from 1898 to 1917.
Battery Duncan offers a contrast to nearby batteries. These include Battery Cavallo and Battery Yates. The differences in architecture are easy to spot.
Today Battery Duncan stands as a reminder of the past. Its guns are silent now. It offers a glimpse into a time when coastal defenses were vital. Take a moment to reflect on the history held within these walls.