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San Franciscans finally realized a long-awaited dream, to have their own unique freshwater supply.
It took 20 years to complete damming Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley and construct a 167-mile long gravity-fed aqueduct. However, on Oct. 28, 1934, freshwater finally arrived from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Twenty thousand attended the dedication of the Pulgas Water Temple. So significant was this at the time, it was broadcast on national radio, and the US Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes was in attendance.
Built in the backyard of Redwood City along Cañada Road, the Pulgas Water Temple stood as a ‘monumental’ engineering achievement, culminating with a magnificent work of art.
It’s no accident the design is similar to the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. It was designed by William Merchant the understudy of Bernard Maybeck who designed the great San Francisco Palace.
The Pulgas Temple, while looking distinctly Greek, has a Biblical phrase at the top of the 60 foot high columns- "I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people." (Isaiah 43:20)
Not the Original Temple
It may surprise you to know the round cement tower of today is not how it looked when it was dedicated in 1934. The original structure on that day was largely made of wood. The temple that stands today was completed four years hence.
For many years access to the water temple proved to be a source of fun for young thrill seekers, who leaped over the wall above the drain’s small waterfall and floated from there into the reservoir. Eventually, the authorities covered the opening with a screen, putting an end to the novelty.
Virtually no water flows through the temple area any longer. The need for it to be treated required diversion of the water to a treatment facility before flowing into Crystal Springs Reservoir.
Its classic beauty remains an iconic reminder of another age.
Everything Else is Just History
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphases on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
