About The Sausalito Historical Society
The Sausalito Historical Society collects and preserves art, artifacts, photographs and printed materials that document Sausalito’s history; provides access to the collection for public and academic research; and develops publications and outreach programs to inspire local interest in Sausalito’s history to educate the visiting public and enrich the community.
The Sausalito Historical Society is looking for your Sausalito photos of bygone days. We would like to preserve and add to our online collection memories of the past. Please contact the Historical Society if you would like to share you photos.
Sausalito’s New Ice House Museum is Open!
Now and Then in Sausalito by Mike Moyle
The seven blocks between the base of Napa Street and the intersection with Caledonia Street adjacent to the “Taste of Rome”.
The 1930's was a decade of extensive road construction and reconfiguration in the Sausalito area. Although the construction of the Waldo Grade - part of the Golden Gate Bridge project - which commenced in 1936 was the the largest undertaking, significant work was also undertaken between Waldo Point and downtown Sausalito.
One of the most substantial of those projects was the construction of an entirely new stretch of roadway which is today the seven blocks of Bridgeway between the base of Napa Street and the intersection with Caledonia Street adjacent to The Taste of Rome. As a result, the traffic along Caledonia Street, which had previously been the major north/south artery through Sausalito, diminished dramatically.
The project required expropriating and clearing a significant swath of property which contained several structures. A few of those were relocated (for example, the Domergue House which still stands today on Pine Street, and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad freight office which is today the Straub Construction office building on Main Street in Old Town), while the rest were demolished.
The attached collage shows on the left an aerial shot of New Town taken in 1931, and on the right a Google Earth image of the same area. On both images the yellow dotted lines show the borders of the roadway that opened in 1934.
3 Exhibit Spaces Feature Historical Displays our History
Phil Frank Exhibit
Exhibit Spaces maintained by the Society feature in depth displays about Sausalito history and include:
The Phil Frank History Research Room
The Downtown Ice House Historical Exhibit
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model.
See below for hours for each location
SHS Board of Directors:
Front row: Jim Scriba, Nora Sawyer, Nick Roby, Peter Bowes, Lauri Flynn.
Back row: Stanford Hughes, Roberta Maloy, Jerry Taylor, Barbara Rycerski.
President – Jerry Taylor
Vice-President - Nora Sawyer
Secretary/Admin – Roberta Maloy
Treasurer – Pete Bowes
We are always looking for people who want to be involved with the History of Sausalito and its residents new and old. If you would like to join us, please contact us at the addresses below.
How to Reach the Sausalito Historical Society:
We’re happy to announce that the Sausalito Historical Society Exhibit and Research Room will re-open on Monday, August 2 to the public. Our hours will be Monday, 10-5 and Wednesday 10-1. A docent will be available to help you with your research request. City Hall is asking everyone to wear a mask in the building. For now, we will not be open on Saturday mornings as in the past because City Hall is not open on Saturday yet, so will be open on Mondays instead.
Sausalito City Hall
Sausalito Historical Society
The Phil Frank History Research Room
420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA, 94965
-Mondays from 10 am -1 pm
-Wednesdays from 10 am -1 pm
-2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month 12-3 pm
P.O. Box 352, Sausalito, CA 94966
415 289-4117
Sausalito Ice House Visitors Center & Museum
Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
780 Bridgeway, Sausalito CA 94965
415-332-0505
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model.
Open when the Bay Model is open
https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Bay-Model-Visitor-Center/
Search this Web Site for Information about Sausalito's History:
Additional information about specific Sausalito Historical Society’s Digitized Collections are available in the Museum Online Catalog
The California Digital Newspaper Collection contains over 500,000 digitited issues of California newspapers and is an excellent resource for more information about the history of Southern Marin County and Sausalito.
The Sausalito Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization Tax ID # 94-277123