Union Iron Works Office

In the shadow of towering cranes and the echoing clang of metal, the Union Iron Works Office stands as a silent witness to San Francisco’s industrial might. This unassuming building, Building #104 at 560 20th Street, once orchestrated the symphony of shipbuilding that shaped the city’s destiny. The Union Iron Works, founded in 1849 by Irish immigrant Peter Donohue, began its life as a humble brass and iron works in the south of Market area. Led by the visionary I.M. Scott, the company transitioned into shipbuilding and relocated to Potrero Point. This move marked the beginning of the longest running privately owned shipyard in the United States. The Union Iron Works Office became the nerve center of this bustling enterprise. Within its walls, contracts were signed, blueprints were drafted, and the future of maritime innovation was forged. The Union Iron Works quickly established itself as a powerhouse of the Pacific. In 1885, it launched the Arago, the first steel-hulled ship on the west coast. This feat was followed by a $1,000,000 contract to build the USS Charleston for the US Navy, completed in a mere eighteen months. By 1892, the shipyard employed between 1200 and 1500 men, generating an annual revenue of $2,000,000 to $4,000,000. From the Union Iron Works Office, these figures represented not just financial success, but the tangible growth of a city and a nation. The Union Iron Works Office also witnessed a dramatic turn of events in 1905. Charles M. Schwab, the steel magnate, stood on the steps of this very building during an auction, placing the sole bid for the entire 40-acre shipyard. For one million dollars, the Union Iron Works became part of the Bethlehem Steel empire. Schwab’s presence here marked the end of an era and the beginning of another, further cementing the Union Iron Works Office’s place in San Francisco’s industrial narrative. Even amidst this change, the legacy of Union Iron Works continued. Iconic warships like the USS Olympia and USS Oregon, central figures in the Spanish-American War, were products of this shipyard. The legacy also extended to submarines. The Adder-class submarines, Grampus and Pike, the first submarines built on the West Coast, originated here in 1902 and 1903. Today, the Union Iron Works Office stands as a reminder of the ingenuity and perseverance that built San Francisco’s maritime legacy. It’s a testament to the men and women who toiled within its walls and in the shipyard beyond, crafting vessels that sailed the seas and into history. The Union Iron Works Office, though quiet now, still speaks volumes about the city’s industrial heart.