Stilwell Hall

You are currently near the site of what was long known as Building 650, or Stilwell Hall. It is important to clarify that the name Stilwell Hall has been applied to two very different places. While a famous, massive recreation center by that name once stood on a cliff in Monterey Bay, the building you are near here in the Presidio was a major administrative and social hub for the United States Army Reserves. This specific building served as the headquarters for the Sixth Army Reserve Center. Beyond its administrative functions, it was a social destination for officers, housing a club, game rooms, and a library for soldiers stationed at the post. The facility was designed to provide a central command and gathering space for reserve units being reactivated during the mid-twentieth century. The building is also connected to the broader history of the Presidio through the artifacts displayed on its grounds. Two bronze cannons, which still rest in the area, arrived here as war prizes. They were captured from the Spanish in Manila by Admiral George Dewey following the Spanish-American War and were presented to the city of San Francisco in 1900 before being relocated to decorate this site.