Building 640 was built in 1921 as an air mail hangar.  It was converted to an ROTC barracks in 1928, and to a gymnasium in 1931. In November of 1941, during World War II (and a month before the attack on Pearl Harbor) it was used by the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) to train Japanese-American soldiers as military linguists.

The story of the MIS school and the Nisei soldiers is one of the most important stories of the Presidio. The Presidio Trust views the  Building 640 site as very important to understanding the Presidio’s history and the compelling story of patriotic Japanese-American citizens during and following the war.  The MIS story relates to this larger history, and to other sites within the Presidio as well as sites preserved by the National Park Service throughout the United States.

To bring these stories to the public, the Presidio Trust signed a cooperative agreement with the National Japanese-American Historical Society (NJAHS) to rehabilitate Building 640 as an Historic Learning Center to be operated by the NJAHS. We are committed to making this happen.

Building 640 has been undergoing rehabilitation since September. On Friday, December 23, 2011 some internal structural elements failed, causing a partial collapse of the roof. A construction crew was on site at the time, but there were no injuries. Supplemental shoring has been added to stabilize the remaining structure and the area is fenced off and closed to the public.

We are working with the contractor, NJAHS, and others to ensure the safety of the building and assess what will be involved in its repair. We expect to have answers by the middle of this month.  It is our intention at this point to resume building rehabilitation and, working with NJAHS, the National Park Service and others, to bring this important part of our nation’s history to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact Presidio Trust Public Affairs at (415) 561-5418.