Winehaven, human settlement in California, United States of America
Winehaven is an abandoned harbor settlement on the east shore of San Pablo Bay, built in 1907 by the California Wine Association as the world's largest winery at that time. The site contains about 35 historic buildings from the early 1900s, including a distinctive main structure with crenellated walls and corner towers, worker cottages, and docks extending into the water.
After the 1906 earthquake damaged San Francisco, the California Wine Association relocated to Winehaven and built a massive winery with hundreds of workers and ships carrying wine to Europe and New York. Prohibition in 1919 forced wine production to cease, and the Navy took over the site in 1941 to use it as a fuel depot for warships and aircraft.
Winehaven was once a center of California wine production and reflects the ambitions that began around 1900 with local grape varieties. The settlement shows how workers and their families lived in a self-contained community with cottages, a hotel, and a school.
The site is difficult to access since many of the historic buildings are closed to visitors due to their deteriorated condition and can only be viewed from outside. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low and the old structures are most visible.
The wine cellars were converted by the Navy during World War II into bomb shelters and control rooms for nuclear materials, positioning the site at the intersection of civilian wine production and military strategy. This unexpected transformation shows how a place of peace became a center of military operations.
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