California State Military Department

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Historic California Posts

Milagra Ridge Military Reservation

 

Now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), Milagra Ridge was the southern-most coastal defense work built to defend the entrance to San Francisco Bay. A 6" gun emplacement was built here during World War II. A 16" gun emplacement similar to one at Fort Funston was to be built but it was canceled. Later, the area was used as a launch site for a Nike missile battery. The deserted Battery 243, several fire control stations and the buried Nike bunkers remain at this undeveloped park.

 

Source: Mark J. Berhow

1940 Program and World War II Temporary

 

Battery name	Number of Guns	Type of Gun	Type of Carriage	Constructed	Completed	Decommissioned
Battery Construction 244	2	6 inch T2M1	Shielded Long Range Barbette M4	1942	1947	1950
Battery Construction 130	2	16 inch	Casemated Long Range Barbette	Not Built	-	-

 

Army Corps of Engineers History

 

The Milagra Ridge Military Reservation (Nike Site SF-51-L) is situated approximately seven miles south of San Francisco in Pacifica, San Mateo, CA. The total acreage was 330.01. There were 327.97 fee acres, 0.58 license acres, and 1.46 easement acres. The site was acquired in 1942.

The Milagra Ridge Military Reservation site was originally used for coastal defense purposes, fire control station, and most recently as a launcher and administrative area of Nike Site SF-51. This site was used by the U.S. Army Air Defense Command.

Between July 11, 1946 and May 10, 1962, 73.11 acres were disposed of. Of the remaining 256.90 acres, a portion of Nike Site SF-51 (36.48 acres) was declared excess in 1972 and was transferred to the Department of the Interior, and subsequently transferred to the City of Pacifica in May 1974. The U.S. retained 220.42 acres. The 73.11 acres disposed of in 1962 are currently privately held: 28.79 acres are in residential development and 44.32 acres are under development.

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