Winehaven in the press

Preservation and the park

• July 13, 2026 Here’s what you might see if Point San Pablo becomes a shoreline park

  Richmondside, Kleigh Carroll. A walk through the closed Terminal 4 shoreline and the case for extending the Point Molate park and Bay Trail north to Point San Pablo Harbor when the City’s lease on the site expires in 2030.

• August 29, 2025 East Bay Regional Park District buys 82 acres at Point Molate to create new shoreline park

  Local News Matters. Coverage of the completed $40 million purchase.

• August 28, 2025 82 ‘stunning’ acres of Bay Area coastline to become public park

  SFGATE, Amanda Bartlett. The park district bought the Point Molate land, including the former Navy depot and the castle-like Winehaven building, from the Guidiville Rancheria for $40 million.

• August 26, 2025 It’s official: Point Molate preserved as public parkland

  Richmondside, Joel Umanzor. EBRPD completes its $40 million acquisition of 82 acres; $36 million came from a state Coastal Conservancy grant, and construction of a 2.5-mile Bay Trail extension began August 1.

• August 26, 2025 Park District Acquires Point Molate Property in Richmond for Future Regional Park

  East Bay Regional Park District news release. Names Native American sacred sites, a historic Chinese fishing village, and Winehaven among the cultural resources being preserved.

• July 30, 2024 Richmond’s historic Winehaven: What now?

  Grandview Independent. After the park district’s letter of intent, what becomes of the winery buildings is unanswered.

• July 12, 2024 After much contention, Point Molate will become a park, under new agreement with city, tribe and state

  Richmond Confidential, Choekyi Lhamo. The City Council backs a $40 million sale of 81.56 acres, including Winehaven, to the park district.

• July 11, 2024 Point Molate could become regional park

  Richmondside. The Council weighs a letter of intent that could end decades of questions over the shoreline.

The lawsuit and the tarps

• January 6, 2024 Race against rain: tarps cover Winehaven cottages amid preservation lawsuit

  Grandview Independent. The City’s on-call contractor installs temporary tarps on the cottages after the Council’s $438,000 vote.

• October 4, 2023 A reluctant city council votes to preserve historic Winehaven buildings

  Grandview Independent. The Council votes unanimously to spend $438,000 protecting the cottages before the rainy season.

• April 2023 Nonprofit files suit to save historic Winehaven structures

  Grandview Independent. Winehaven Trust, formed by former mayors Tom Butt and Rosemary Corbin, sues over roofs, gutters, turrets, and water intrusion, calling the neglect demolition by neglect.

The building today

• May 4, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission minutes: “Winehaven Historic District – Proposed partial demolition of Building 1 due to weather damage”

  City of Richmond (official minutes). EBRPD told the City that the wood portion of Building 1 had collapsed. Staff said the proposal would affect the collapsed wood beam and steel, not the brick portion or the concrete north addition, that CEQA review would be required, and that a public hearing would be held.

History and background

• July 30, 2020 Let’s raise a glass to Winehaven in Richmond, which was once the wine capital of California

  Ben Marks, Collectors Weekly, via Local News Matters (the story also ran in SFGATE). The California Wine Association’s 47-acre Winehaven compound and its pre-Prohibition output.

• October 24, 2017 Prohibition shuttered the world’s largest winery. Now wine is back at Winehaven

  Berkeleyside, Frances Dinkelspiel. Winehaven’s history and the return of wine storage to the site.

• July 2015 The Unique and Colorful History of Richmond’s Point Molate

  Bay Crossings staff report. Ohlone use, the Chinese shrimp camp, Winehaven, the Navy depot, and the 2003 transfer to the City.

• October 18, 2005 Lucretia Edwards, 1916–2005

  Berkeley Daily Planet, by Tom Butt. A tribute to the woman who nominated Winehaven to the National Register.

• Summer 2005 Betting on Point Molate

  Bay Nature, Chiori Santiago (Summer 2005 issue). Point Molate’s native grasslands and the debate over its future.

• January 2, 2004 Open Space Advocate Honored With a Park

  Berkeley Daily Planet, John Geluardi. The dedication of Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park in October 2003 and a profile of its namesake.

Looking for sources and archives? See Partners and further reading. For Tom Butt’s own posts about Winehaven, see From the Tom Butt E-Forum.