American Trona Corporation Building, factory in San Pedro, California
The American Trona Corporation Building is a large industrial structure on Pacific Avenue in San Pedro, built between 1916 and 1917. The structure covers about 25,000 square feet with a concrete foundation and wood frame construction and was originally designed to process and store salt and potash from Searles Lake.
The building was constructed in 1916-1917 to process salt and potash from Searles Lake, but salt production soon ran below full capacity. After a brief time, it served as a sawmill and warehouse until 1942 when the military took control and it became part of Fort MacArthur.
The building is also known as Fort MacArthur Raw Salt Storage and Processing Buildings, reflecting its role in the salt industry. This name connects its industrial past with its later military use and shows how the structure served different functions for the region.
The building sits on Pacific Avenue between 28th and 30th Streets in San Pedro and is part of the Fort MacArthur grounds. Visitors should note this is an area with military history and access may be restricted.
The building is one of the largest remaining wooden industrial buildings on the West Coast and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its wooden frame construction was unusual for a building of this size and shows the innovative engineering of the early 1900s.
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