View source for Engineering:Black Point Communications Annex

{{Infobox building
| name             = Black Point Communications Annex
| alternate_names  = Hamilton Field Radio Range Station
| image            = 
| location_town    = Novato, California
| location_country = United States
| coordinates      = {{Coord|38|05|16.7|N|122|30|35.6|W|display=title}}°05'16.7"N 122°30'35.6"W
| status           = Abandoned
| start_date       = 1939
| cost             = 15,341 dollars
| map_type         = <!-- California -->
| map_dot_mark     = 
}}

[[File:Black_Point_Communications_Annex_Control_Room_Exterior.jpg|thumb|left|Black Point Communications Annex Control Room 1501]]
[[File:Black_Point_Communications_Annex_Control_Room_1505.jpg|thumb|left|Black Point Communications Annex Control Room 1505]]
[[File:Black_Point_Communications_Annex_Control_Room_1501_Interior.jpg|thumb|left|Black Point Communications Annex Control Room 1501 Interior]]
The '''Black Point Communications Annex''' was an [[Physics:Antenna array|antenna array]] and off-site radio communications annex located in Novato, California, 1.5 miles from Black Point, from which it gained its name.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hamilton AFB - Black Point Communications Annex |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/coldwararchaeology/sets/72157627651514813 |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Flickr |date=14 March 2009 |language=en-us}}</ref> It is located 4 miles north of Hamilton Field, a position that was chosen due to its close proximity to a major air force hub. Due to the property having been privately owned, the federal government had to use [[Social:Eminent domain|eminent domain]] twice to acquire the land, first in 1939 and again in 1957 in order to expand the array.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Point Communication Facility Annex |url=http://wikimapia.org/5032206/Black-Point-Communication-Facility-Annex |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=wikimapia.org |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Black Point Communications Annex |url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/BlackPointCommAnx.html |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=www.militarymuseum.org}}</ref> In 1952, both the Hamilton Air Force Base and the Black Point Communications Annex were declared "Permanent Installations" by the {{wipe|United States Air Force}}, but their usefulness had already begun to decline, and on January 11, 1976, the General Services Administration (GSA) was placed in charge.<ref name=":0" /> Eight years later, they sold the former Black Point Communication Annex to the State of California. Many of the buildings are still intact, such as an electrical power station, 2 transmitting building/control rooms, a generator room, and most of the antennae. Some of the other buildings that were built out of wood or corrugated steel are reduced to foundations.<ref name=":0" /> The land on which the array is located is overgrown, and visibly different from the fields and pastures that surround it.

== References ==
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[[Category:Antennas (radio)]]

{{Sourceattribution|Black Point Communications Annex}}