Tucked away in an industrial nook of San Francisco is a Norman-style fortress, full with a turret constructed greater than 150 years in the past and a rest room within the form of a throne.
A documentary by filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen takes viewers contained in the partitions of Albion Fort, and even she says after dwelling within the metropolis for a decade, she by no means knew concerning the stately abode.
The place is at the moment owned by Invoice Gilbert, a retired San Francisco police officer and real-estate investor, and within the fascinating video tour, his daughter Jennifer leads the way in which.
Invoice bought the 2 bedroom-property for $900,000 in 2012 after it had laid dormant for someday, and the renovation course of concerned sprucing up the dwelling areas together with attending to one of many dwelling’s extra uncommon options: a community of underground caves which nonetheless produce between 8,000 and 10,000 gallons of pure spring water a day.
Tucked away in an industrial nook of San Francisco is a Norman-style fortress, full with a turret constructed greater than 150 years in the past and a rest room within the form of a throne
A documentary by filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen takes viewers contained in the partitions of Albion Fort, and even she says after dwelling within the metropolis for a decade, she by no means knew concerning the stately abode
The place is at the moment owned by Invoice Gilbert, a retired San Francisco police officer and real-estate investor, and within the fascinating video tour, his daughter Jennifer leads the way in which
Invoice bought the 2 bedroom-property for $900,000 in 2012 after it had laid dormant for someday, and the renovation course of concerned sprucing up the dwelling areas
The fortress was in-built 1870 by John Hamlin Burnell, a younger English immigrant, who noticed potential within the pure water provide and had visions of turning the plot right into a state-of-the-art brewery
A black and white classic photograph of the fortress across the time it was constructed, present the way it was surrounded by farmland with no different properties within the neighborhood
The fortress was in-built 1870 by John Hamlin Burnell, a younger English immigrant, who noticed potential within the pure water provide and had visions of turning the plot right into a state-of-the-art brewery.
A black and white classic photograph of the fortress across the time it was constructed, present the way it was surrounded by farmland with no different properties within the neighborhood.
Immediately, nonetheless, the fortress sits again from a busy street and it’s sandwiched amid a patchwork of residential buildings with an industrial dockyard past.
However stepping via the fortress’s iron gate into the leafy grounds, Jennifer says it’s like venturing into ‘a distinct universe.’
The primary a part of the fortress was constructed from rock that was excavated whereas digging the cave community, whereas wooden from the native shipyard was used for assist beams and different inside options.
Burnell’s visions got here to life and Albion Ale & Porter Brewery functioned for a while till Prohibition pressured the operation to shut down in 1919.
The fortress was then become a brand new enterprise enterprise because the Albion Water Firm and it served as a bottling plant for consuming water from 1928 till 1947.
Whereas it was in operation as a water bottling manufacturing unit, the fortress was occupied by an American sculptor named Adrien Voisin and lots of of his wooden carvings, which run from the bannisters to ceiling covings, stay right this moment.
Certainly one of Voisin’s kookier additions was a rest room that appears like a throne.
Within the video tour, Jennifer demonstrates how the weird toilet incorporates a wooden encompass, with a again panel and arm rests with a ceramic ashtray inserted on one aspect.
The bathroom additionally ‘performs music’ whenever you flush it so ‘the entire home can hear.’
Shifting alongside on their tour, different rooms to characteristic within the quick movie embody the formal eating room, the kitchen with darkish wooden cabinetry, the massive lounge with a gothic-style chandelier, and one of many cozy bedrooms with a canopy-style mattress.
The primary a part of the fortress was constructed from rock that was excavated whereas digging the cave community, whereas wooden from the native shipyard was used for assist beams and different inside options
Burnell’s Albion Ale & Porter Brewery functioned till 1919, when Prohibition pressured it to shut down. The fortress was then become a brand new enterprise enterprise because the Albion Water Firm
One of many dwelling’s extra uncommon options is a community of underground caves which nonetheless produce between 8,000 and 10,000 gallons of pure spring water a day
Shifting to the decrease ranges of the fortress, the group tour the cave community with the hand carved stone interiors on present. Footage reveals how the water held within the cisterns is crystal clear
Whereas it was in operation as a water bottling manufacturing unit, the fortress was occupied by an American sculptor named Adrien Voisin, because the signal above signifies
Immediately the fortress is out there to lease for small occasions however the long-term plan is to convey again the water bottling enterprise to ‘make the most of the pure, recent spring water from the cisterns initiated by the founder’
Concluding her tour, Jennifer notes that the fortress is the ‘sole remaining piece of historical past’ relationship to the time when San Francisco was a swathe of rural land peppered with cattle ranches
The fortress sits again from a busy street and it’s sandwiched amid a patchwork of residential buildings with an industrial dockyard past
The digicam crew additionally climb to the highest ground of the fortress tower, with this dwelling to a small sitting space with the unique apex wooden ceiling uncovered above.
Jennifer explains that the highest ground of the tower would have initially been used as a storage space for the hardly used within the beer making course of.
Shifting to the decrease ranges of the fortress, the group tour the cave community with the hand carved stone interiors on present. It’s believed that hand picks had been used to create the caverns with all the rock eliminated in wheelbarrows; an arduous venture that may have taken a number of years.
Footage reveals how the water held within the cisterns is crystal clear and Jennifer says some folks have swam within the stone vats with prior permission.
In 1961 the fortress was below risk of demolition due to being adjoining to a street development plan, however its underground spring waters saved it from peril.
It was determined that if San Francisco was ever threatened by a nuclear assault, the fortress may present emergency water to residents.
It is without doubt one of the solely pure water sources within the metropolis that can not be contaminated and was established as a historic landmark in 1974.
Earlier than the Gilbert household bought the fortress, it was owned by one other artist following Voisin’s occupation and there have been plans by native brewers to then relaunch the brewery however these by no means got here to fruition.
When it hit the market, Invoice Gilbert snapped it up, as he had been fascinated by the property his complete life and as a baby, his mother and father would take him to a restaurant over the way in which the place he would spend extra time daydreaming concerning the fortress than on ending his dinner.
Immediately the fortress is out there to lease for small occasions however the long-term plan is to convey again the water bottling enterprise to ‘make the most of the pure, recent spring water from the cisterns initiated by the founder.’
Concluding her tour, Jennifer notes that the fortress is the ‘sole remaining piece of historical past’ relationship to the time when San Francisco was a swathe of rural land peppered with ranches.
She provides: ‘There is no time I believe within the fashionable world to construct one thing like this once more.
‘Every part 1716460052 needs to be fast and I believe they took their time right here. [It] was thoughtfully constructed… I all the time really feel protected right here.’
