Pulgas Water Temple Near San Francisco – Belmont CA

City:
Belmont, CA

Site Type:
Art Works, Infrastructure and Utilities, Water Supply

New Deal Agencies:
Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)

Designers:
H. Michelsen, W. P. Day, William Merchant

Description

"San Francisco built Pulgas Water Temple as a monument to the engineering marvel that brought Hetch Hetchy water more than 160 miles across California from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay Area. The Hetch Hetchy Project had taken 24 years to build through the Great Depression at a cost of $102 million.

On October 28, 1934, the roar of Hetch Hetchy mountain water greeted everyone gathered at Pulgas Water Temple to celebrate its arrival. With vivid memories of the fire that had raged unchecked after the Great Earthquake of 1906, the city rejoiced in its new secure, plentiful supply of high quality drinking water. The frieze above the columns expresses the citys joyful relief: I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people.

Pulgas Water Temple was designed in the Beaux Arts style by William Merchant, a San Francisco architect trained by Bernard Maybeck. Merchants design featured fluted columns and Corinthian capitals to reflect the architecture of ancient Greeks and Romans, whose engineering methods were used to build the new water system. Artist and master stone carver Albert Bernasconi brought Merchants drawings to life."

The temple stands 39'9" above the ground with ten columns and a diameter of 25'. It is made of reinforced concrete with column facing and ornamental work made of cast stone.

Location Info


Canada Road
Belmont, CA 94002
San Mateo County

Location notes: Crystal Springs Reservoir, Peninsula Watershed
"Pulgas Water Temple is located about one-half mile south of the Canada Road trailhead. To get there, take Interstate 280 to the Edgewood Road exit. Proceed west on Edgewood Road to Canada Road, then north on Canada Road approximately two miles to the temple."

Coordinates: 37.483314, -122.31711

Site Details

Total Cost
$46,700.00

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