Shipbuilding was the prime reason Matthew Turner came to Benicia over 125 years ago, turning out sailing vessels from Shipyard Cove in the 1880’s.
Old Garske ship yard in Benicia about to undergo formidable redevelopment
Benicia’s Old Garske Boatyard
By Denise Dohogne
Published: October, 2006
Shipbuilding was the prime reason Matthew Turner came to Benicia over 125 years ago, turning out sailing vessels from Shipyard Cove in the 1880’s. Today I sit on my balcony, overlooking the old Joe Garske Boatyard and dry dock, located at the end of First Street, in downtown Benicia.
Garske’s boatyard, now owned by Phil Joy Moving & Leveling Company, is filled with a jumbled assortment of boats. This yard is what you might call ‘a do it yourself’ yard, the wiry senior Garske, now deceased, used to say.
People would bring their boats in from as far away as Vancouver. Garske would rent them space, and they would supply all parts and labor. Approximately 10 boats have been built in this yard from scratch and numerous others have been repaired or remodeled. The boatyard developed in the late 1950’s, after he sold Benicia Plumbing & Heating and bought Pierce Harbor in the Suisun Slough.
Developing at the same time was Garske’s fledgling company, Marine Services. The area oil refineries approached him with the need for tying and releasing the large ships they employed. One of the services Garske offered was oil spill clean up. His two boats, the Sponge and the Squeegee, could handle anything from gasoline to bunker oil. Because of this service, the old boatyard is quite clean relative to today’s standards.
Now laying in this boat/graveyard are old utility boats, fishing boats, houseboats, cranes, barges and a World War II landing craft labeled LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel), which were designed by Andrew Jackson Higgins and known as Higgins boats. These boats were key to the success of Allied amphibious invasions, including D-Day on June 6, 1944, and this one was recently donated to the National D-Day Museum, by current owner Phil Joy.
Joy also has the toughest job of all—boatyard clean-up. Truck-load upon truck-load of rusted steel, rotted wood and other debris has been steadily streaming from this old yard; however, a new vision is in sight. Phil plans to barge in a 6,000 square foot, historic Victorian home from Napa, with intentions of creating a bed and breakfast inn, complete with look-out tower. When completed, this location will be prime property, as it overlooks the Carquinez Bridge and the evening sunset.
Sitting right-smack in the middle of this property are the remains of the Von Pfister adobe building. Built by Benjamin MacDonald in 1847, it was turned over to Captain E. H. Von Pfister and became a store during the day and an informal hotel at night. By November of that year, there were 15 buildings. By the end of the year, Lieutenant Robert Semple, one of Benicia’s original founders, had constructed a wharf, the first hotel had been built and enough people had settled in Benicia to receive a local government.
By November 1850, there were over 100 homes in Benicia and the Pacific Mail and Steamship Company, which carried mail and freight between California and the Isthmus of Panama, had set up its shops and wharves in Benicia. This made Benicia the home of the first large industrial works in California. They remained in Benicia until 1869 when they moved to San Francisco. Benicia was also the first city in the new state of California to be incorporated and, at the same time, was named the county seat of Solano County, not to mention the State Capitol in 1853.
With that all said, there is still some prime property available surrounding this most historical and charming downtown. There are two new communities, Waterfront Village and Harbor Walk, which sit across from this soon-to-be-history boatyard, which have all sold out. Now is a great time to claim a piece of this historic waterfront location and take this opportunity to be a part of Benicia’s history in the remaking.
Denise Dohogne is a Waterfront Real Estate Specialist serving the San Francisco Bay & Delta regions of Solano, Napa and Contra Costa Counties. She is broker/owner of Denise Dohogne Real Estate in Benicia, Captain of the vessel Hey Diddle Diddle and member of the Vallejo Yacht Club.
www.DeniseDohogne.com
