Military
4
Built in 1857, the Guardhouse is the oldest building on the island. As the first line of defense against enemy landing parties, it could only be entered by crossing a drawbridge over a 15-foot-deep dry moat. Two gun ports for 24-pound howitzers flanked the entrance, and firing positions for riflemen capped the roof. Alcatraz’s defenses were never tested in battle. Instead, the Guardhouse’s basement served as a prison for troublesome Army soldiers, and later uses included a military prison, library, theater, and schoolhouse.
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San Francisco, California · United States
