Comments (0) Best Neglected Landmark - 2006
Nimitz House
Officially, it was called Quarters One, built about 1900 as the Commandant's residence for what later became the Treasure Island Naval Air Station. But for 50 years, the elegant Classical Revival–style house has been known for its most famous occupant: the legendary Admiral Chester Nimitz, who lived there while commanding the Pacific Fleet during World War II. The biggest and fanciest of the several early-20th-century houses built for base officers on the island — collectively referred to as the Great Whites — Nimitz House is a registered National Historic Landmark. The lovely residence is empty these days, although it has been used for conferences and for occasional photo shoots (its interior has graced the Pottery Barn catalog more than once). The narrow street on which the house is located lies almost beneath the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. A sign warns motorists against driving onto the street, though there's foot access from along North Gate Road, down the hill from the house (from a spot near where North Gate goes underneath the span). Thanks to the bridge, the grounds are especially noisy — and they'll become even noisier given that pylons for the new eastern span protrude even closer.
