National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco

National Register #76000178: Square-Rigged Sailing Ship Balclutha Independence Day 2010
National Register #76000178: Square-Rigged Sailing Ship Balclutha Independence Day 2010
National Register #76000178: Square-Rigged Sailing Ship Balclutha April 1929
Balclutha as Star of Alaska Departing San Francisco Bay
Photograph From NRHP Nomination Form
(Click Photos to Zoom)
National Register #76000178
Square-Rigged Sailing Ship Balclutha
Hyde Street Pier
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Built 1886

Balclutha, built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1886, survives as the last square rigged vessel afloat on San Francisco Bay and as one of only two American-owned square riggers yet afloat on the Pacific Coast.

Through her long life, Balclutha has played an active role in the development of maritime trade and commerce in the United States, beginning with the grain trade between California and England from 1870 and 1890. Balclutha is one of three survivors of thousands of grain ships which called at San Francisco.

After 1899, Balclutha was engaged for a time in the Pacific Coast lumber trade.

In 1901 she passed into American ownership along with a handful of other vessels through a specific Act of Congress.

Beginning in 1902, Balclutha was employed in the Alaskan salmon trade, in which she remained until she was the last sailing vessel to go north for the Alaskan Packers Association, her owners, in 1930.

During her career, Balclutha sailed to ports around the world including Antwerp, London, Le Havre, Rangoon, Callao, Cape Town, Montevideo, Honolulu, Melbourne, Rotterdam, Port Townsend, San Francisco, and Chignik.

With the exception of a few alterations made during the course of her long career as a working vessel and as a museum ship, Balclutha is essentially the same vessel as launched in 1886.

Balclutha is a National Historic Landmark.

Adapted from the NRHP Nomination Form.

Aquatic Park and Vicinity

Hyde Street Pier Pier 45
Prev | Next
San Francisco County: List | Map
California: List | Map