Historic Nimitz House under the Bay Bridge, a once-regal venue, becoming a forgotten footnote

By Elizabeth Cook

Thousands of commuters cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge every day, but few realize that beneath its eastern span lies a piece of military history: the last residence of Admiral Chester Nimitz, architect of America’s victory in the Pacific during World War II.

Nestled on the edge of Yerba Buena Island, hidden under the noisy freeway, stands a three-story mansion known as the Nimitz House. Rear Admiral John Bitoff, who lived there from 1989 to 1992 while overseeing logistics for the Pacific Fleet, recalls the honor of calling it home.

“It was an honor and a pleasure,” Bitoff said. “I would sometimes walk through this home and wonder who sat there and what was the occasion.”

Bitoff often entertained military leaders from around the world, but the mansion was always Admiral Nimitz’s home. A photograph of Nimitz in uniform hangs in the house, a reminder of its storied past.

“I hosted the first Soviet ship to come to San Francisco since World War II,” Bitoff said. “All they wanted was to have their photos taken with Admiral Nimitz in the background. It was incredible.”

Nimitz was named commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet just 10 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt personally called Nimitz to deliver the news.

Two years after signing the instrument of surrender that ended the war in the Pacific in September 1945, Nimitz returned to the Bay Area. In 1963, as his health began to fail, the Navy invited him to live in quarters on Yerba Buena Island, which became known as the Nimitz House.

Nimitz continued his public service, hosting dignitaries from around the world, including many from Japan, former adversaries who now paid homage to the victor.

Bitoff often sought inspiration from Nimitz’s legacy.

“It’s almost like he would talk to me,” Bitoff said. “I would sit there and ask, ‘Admiral, what would you do under these circumstances?’ I didn’t hear anyone responding, but in my mind, I seemed to get a response, always right out of his leadership example.”

Nimitz died in the mansion on Feb. 20, 1966, at age 80. Bitoff learned the details from Nimitz’s daughter, Sister Mary Aquines, who confirmed the exact room where her father passed away.

Today, the Nimitz House is empty. No one has lived there since the 1990s, following a dispute between the city and federal government over control of the property and the location of the new Bay Bridge. The mansion is closed to the public, its glass broken and ceiling crumbling – a silent witness to history.

“I’m very sad,” Bitoff said. “It has deteriorated exponentially since I’ve been here, and it’s hard for me to accept.”

Bitoff, who also had a distinguished Navy career, is now committed to keeping the memory of the Nimitz House – and its most renowned resident – alive, even as its legacy is hidden under tons of steel and concrete.