Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park, Ford Assembly Plant, 1400 Harbour Way South, Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA
Summary
Significance: The Ford Assembly Plant is historically significant because of its association with several individuals and historical developments important to the history of the United States, especially the mobilization of American industry for war production during World War II. The plant was designed to receive unassembled Ford Company parts by ship or railroad and then supply assembled autos to Ford dealers in northern California and Hawaii. During the war, the Richmond Tank Depot, as it was then called, had two basic functions: assembling jeeps and processing combat vehicles for shipment. During the war, the depot employed a relatively large number of women and African Americans. With the war over in 1945, Ford reconverted the Richmond plant to the production of civilian cars and trucks. The plant continued to serve that function within the Ford production system until 1955 when, because of the greatly expanded market for cars in California's post war economy, the company decided to move its Bay Area operation to a larger site in Milpitas. The Ford Motor Company closed the Richmond plant that year.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N975
Survey number: HAER CA-326-H
Building/structure dates: 1931 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1942 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1945 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1955 Subsequent Work
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