I started this blog because I have collected so much information on the history of Oakland that I couldn’t wait to share. Posting in Facebook groups isn’t the best outlet for me. I love sharing what I know and reading what others share. But things get lost on Facebook.
So with the help of my dear friend Phil, I got started, and I was off and running. It should be easy, I say to myself, because, in my mind, I had already laid out actual pages and everything I wanted to say.
But it wasn’t.
I tend to get bogged down in the details. I worry about not getting my facts correct. It is hard for me to find a happy medium between too much and too little. So, this is a work in progress, so bear with me.
Down The Hole, I Go
But I have strayed from the topic of this post. Often when researching one thing, you find something else that has nothing to do with what you are looking for, but it piques your interest. That happens to me a lot.
You might know this as the “Internet rabbit hole” you see when you try to research one thing, and then accidentally go to Wikipedia, and then you are trying to find out what happened to Jimmy Hoffa? That is it in a nutshell.
One rabbit hole I get sucked into often is I will see a picture like this one and want to know more about it.
Oakland Tribune Apr. 02, 1911
Location
Is it still there?
Those two things can be very hard as sometimes the location is very vague and wrong. Sometimes the location is correct. When looking up the house, I am curious as to who the house was built for, were they famous or rich, maybe both?
I have compiled a lot of these pictures of newly built houses. I decided to create a map using Google Maps. The map I have created is “What was there or still is… Oakland California”.
I have already added lots of the homes that I have found while down in the rabbit hole.
What was there or still is… Oakland California
Description of the Map
Some from long ago and long gone, but some are still there. Based on clippings, newspapers, and photos. May not be accurate as address numbers have changed, and locations were often vague
Maroon – Still there
Black – Gone
Yellow – Landmark
Green – Berkeley
Purple – Piedmont
Red – Questions – researching
Here is a link to the map. Click on it to see. Please feel free to share it.
I still have lots of pages in the works just have to get myself out of this hole.
I grew up in the Montclair District in Oakland. I went to Thornhill Elementary School and Montera Junior High and Skyline High School.
We lived on Capricorn Ave. My parents sold our home in 2001.
Our house in Montclair
In 1983, my ex-husband and I were hired by the Montclair Presbyterian Church (where I went as a young child) as custodians. We moved into the house the church-owned next to the Sanctuary. It was at church I started to get the history bug. I found out that the church had celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1980. I was amazed the church had been there so long.
In about 1985, I went on the Fernwood Walking Tour by the Oakland Heritage Alliance, and from that point on, I was on a mission to find out more about the history of Montclair and Oakland.
In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. Along with a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
I didn’t have a whole lot of luck with this group of schools. I figured I better share it now, as I was spending too much time on it.
Laurel Elementary School
The Laurel School opened in February of 1910. The school was a part of the Allendale School district.
Laurel School Photo By Cheney Photo Advertising
Laurel School – 1915 Photo By Cheney Photo Advertising
Laurel School – 1937
Unique School
Oakland Tribune 1928
The Unique School building today- google maps
New School Building
In 1959 the wooden three-story school building was demolished to make room for a new school building.
Oakland Tribune Oct 31, 1957
Oakland Tribune Oct 30, 1958
The new school was the building on the bottom right side. Google Maps
School Bell
For almost 50 years, the ringing of the bell in the wooden three-story building played an essential part in the neighborhood around the school.
Residents were determined to save the bell as a local shrine. It was the last public school bell used in the city.
The bell is mounted and on display in the hallway by school offices.
Sobrante Park Junior High as it was first called opened February 1, 1960. The school was the 27th project to be completed paid for money from the 1958 bond issue.
The $1,425,525 school would eventually house 900 students. The school s campus 14 acres and has the following. The school was designed by Mitchel Van Bourg & Associates.
8 General classrooms
2 Science Rooms
2 homemaking rooms
2 arts & crafts rooms
2 music rooms
3 shops
2 special ed rooms
a library
gymnasium
multipurpose room
offices
In May of 1960, the Board of Education approved James Madison Junior high school as the permanent name of the new Sobrante Park Junior High.
Oakland Tribune Jun 1960
The plaque on the school
Oakland Tribune Jun 1960
For fun
Oakland, CA December 11, 1977 – Madison Junior High School performs a “Sleighs and Toboggans” dance in the Christmas Pageant at the Oakland Auditorium. (By Prentice Brooks / Oakland Tribune) Published December 12, 1977 (Photo by MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)
Madison Today
Madison Today OUSD
400 Capistrano Drive, Oakland, CA 94603
Today it is called Madison Park Academy of Engineering and Graphic Design. It has approximately 800 students in grades 6-12.
Madison Park Business & Art AcademyCampus Expansion
400 Capistrano Dr., Architect Byrnes Kim Design Works 2017
The new 30,464-square-foot classroom building will feature:
14 classrooms equipped with modern classroom furniture
2 science laboratories
4 student restrooms will feature low water flow fixtures
6 administrative offices and increased staff workspace, including a break room, conference room, workroom, and staff restrooms
Exterior assembly area for student activities
Renovation of kitchen shared by MPA and James Madison Middle School
In 1956 a new school was proposed for the site on El Paseo drive that was occupied by a group of portable buildings.
Oakland Tribune Jul 05, 1956
The new school was designed by Ralph N. Kerr and Robert E. Riggs.
13 general classrooms
Special Ed classroom
A kindergarten
A library
A multi-purpose room
Offices
Sobrante Park Today
The school is located at 470 El Paseo Drive
Today the school is called Madison Park Academy (MPA Primary). MPA Primary serves students in grades TK-5. Our vision at MPA Primary is to educate, challenge, and nurture our students to succeed in secondary school and beyond.
Stonehurst School opened 1915 as one portable school.
The citizens of both the Elmhurst and Stonehurst districts attended a school board meeting in August of 1915. They demanded that each area get a portable school, one north and the other south of the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific tracks.
“We have working men down in South Elmhurst, workmen have children! said J.A. Halpruner
August 1915
August 1915
The Stonehurst people based their claim on growth and the Elmhurst people their claims on the more significant number of children.
The rich people in Stonehurst don’t have any.”
August 1915
August 1915
Small or Not!
“The logical site is south of the tracks,” said M.D. Sherwood.
August 1915
August 1915
“Stonehurst is a small insignificant burg, but we have a big district and many children,” continued Sherwood.
At the time, there were 78 students and 89 not yet in school in South Elmhurst and only 41 Stonehurst. The meeting was adjourned!
The South Elmhurst school was located on Edes and Douglass Avenues.
Oakland Tribune 1915
New School
Oakland Tribune 1917
In 1916 it was reported in the “School Building Report” that they intended to purchase another site to be used for a new Stonehurst school building to replace the portable one. The district was leasing the land the school was on.
Demand
After demanding a new school as promised in 1916, the residents were guaranteed by the school board that the first money received from the sale of school bonds
“shall be used in the construction of the Stonehurst school.” Oakland Tribune 1921
Stonehurst School in 1926 – showing the 1922 school building with a proposed addition
Oakland Tribune Nov 07, 1926
Work began on the new school in late May of 1921. The new school consisted of 8 classrooms and an assembly hall at the cost of about $50,000. An addition was added to the school in 1927, costing $60,000.
Grocery Store.
Oakland Tribune 1926
“The scene in the Stonehurst School grocery, where second- grade pupils are learning how to make play dollars go far.”
Unsafe School
In 1972 a $1.2 million project to replace the 50-year-old Stonehurst school building because it is an earthquake hazard was approved by the Board of Education.
Built before 1933, when California’s Field Act established new construction standards for earthquake safety, the building is surrounded by a cluster of 29 portables -10 of which were built before 1933. The school was built to house 380 students who had 973 enrolled in 1972.
The firm of Ratcliff, Slama, and Cadwalader architects designed the new $1.2 million school.
No Name Change
Both Madison Junior High and Stonehurst (at different times) requested to their school be renamed for Dr. Marcus A. Foster. Both were turned down.
Stonehurst Today
10315 E Street, Oakland, CA, 94603
Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy, a public community K-5 elementary school in East Oakland with an integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health, and social services. KDA website –OUSD
Stonehurst Today – OUSD
Esperanza Elementary is a dual language school that prepares students to be college and career ready. Esperanza website – OUSD
Whittier School opened in 1928. The school was named after John Greenleaf Whittier, an American Quaker poet, and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Oakland Tribune November 1928
Whittier Auditorium – OUSD
Oakland Tribune Apr 04, 1957
In 1953 Whittier was closed after being declared an earthquake hazard.
The school reopened in 1956 after a $376,722 reconstruction project. 11,000 square feet of added space in the basement was converted to a cafeteria and a special education classroom.
Oakland Tribune Jul 06, 1956
Whittier School Today
Whittier school closed in 2012. It reopened as Greenleaf Elementary school in
In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. Along with a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
I wasn’t able to locate pictures of Sheffield School. I am hoping someone might have some. The same goes for Burbank, although I think the school looks pretty much the same now as it did when it was built in 1950.
Update Jan 17, 2020
Burbank School
In 1928 plans for the new Burbank School on 64th Avenue in East Oakland were approved. The new six-room brick structure was to cost $60,000 and house 270 students.
The school is named after Luther Burbank, a botanist, and horticulturist who made his home in Northern California.
Oakland Tribune Dec 8, 1928
Oakland Tribune Dec 28, 1928
New School
In 1948 plans for a new school and the reconstruction of the old school, the building was approved. They added an auditorium and a couple more classrooms. Hudspeth and Cerruti were the architects.
Oakland Tribune Nov 16, 1950
The new $297,777 Luther Burbank Elementary School was dedicated on November 15, 1950. The building is one-story and had a capacity of 315 students.
Oakland Tribune Nov 16, 1950
School Song
High Upon a hill near home, there’s a school my very very own
Its name is Burbank Elementary, and of all the schools in Oakland It’s the only one for me
Burbank School where we study hard each day
Burbank School where we have some fun and play
Burbank school, you’re the best in every way
So we give 3 cheers for Burbank School
Hurray, Hurray, Hurray!
Burbank Today
Burbank Today – OUSD
Burbank Today – OUSD
Burbank was closed by the Oakland Unified School District in 2004.
Burbank is a special place in OUSD that supports infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with special needs through exemplary, special education programming as well as related services
In 1923 a new one-room school was built on Sunkist Drive, the school was called Columbia Park (Columbian Park). Susie Thompson was the custodian of the school for 3 years. She lived next door to the school at 6868 Sunkist.
Oakland Tribune Aug 18, 1925
In the obituary of Susie Thompson, it is reported that a wind storm destroyed the first school, and it was replaced by a new building in 1925.
New School
In September of 1948, they broke ground for the new Burckhalter School.
Oakland Tribune Sep 16, 1948
Burckhalter Today
Burckhalter Today – OUSD photo
Burckhalter Today – OUSD photo
Burckhalter Today – OUSD photo
More Info:
The school is located at 3994 Burckhalter Avenue, Oakland, CA, 94605
Plans were approved for the new Redwood Road Elementary School at 5000 Redwood Road. E. Geoffrey Bangswas the architect. The site included a field for the Oakland Recreation Department.
Oakland Tribune Nov 18, 1959
12 Classrooms
Administration Offices
Library
Multipurpose Room
The new school opened in 1960. The name was changed to honor Carl B Munck, who was the president of the school board (five times), was president of California School Board and was the president of the National School Boards Association in 1958.
Oakland Tribune Apr 1962
On a rare snow day in 1962, icicles formed on the shrubs at the after a sprinkler was left on.
Oakland Tribune Jan 22, 1962
In 1962 five local Girl Scout troops donated a Colorado blue spruce tree to the school in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts.
Oakland Tribune Mar 27, 1962
Bus Service
In 1965 students were able to ride the bus to school. The bus made six to seven trips daily.
Oakland Tribune Sep 14, 1966
In 1966 without warning, the service was ended at the beginning of the school year as part of the Oakland School Board’s effort to make ends meet. Parents were concerned with the safety of children who couldn’t get a ride to school.
The young fourth-grader walks about a mile to school every day, up a steep and winding Redwood Road.
The Krause Avenue School (Webster Annex) was formally dedicated in November of 1928.
Oakland Tribune Jul 31, 1928
The “Krause Avenue School” before being demolished to make room for the new school in 1956.
Oakland Tribune Feb 04, 1956
In March of 1929, the Oakland Board of Education changed the name of the Webster Annex school to Edwin Markham school in honor of the widely known California poet and educator. Edwin Markin was principal of the Tompkins School from 1891-1899
New School
Oakland Tribune Oct 14, 1949
In 1949 a new $450,000 school building with 10 classrooms, an auditorium, and a kindergarten was dedicated. The building has a capacity of 385 students and was designed by Edward T. Foulkes.
Note:I have not been able to locate any pictures of the school
Oakland Tribune March 1950
The Sheffield Village school open in March of 1950. The four-classroom building was designed by C.A. Whitten, Dir. of Architecture for the Oakland Public Schools. The school cost $40 300.
The school closed in 1964, and the students were transferred to the San Leandro School District. The site is now used as a park and the Sheffield Recreation Center.
In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. Along with a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
John Swett Elementary School
John Swett Elementary School was constructed in 1926 and opened in January 1927 and closed in 2004.
Oakland Tribune 1926
The school was named after John Swett (1830–1913), who is considered to be the “Father of the California public school” system. He served as the 4th California State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1863-1867.
Boys Build Amphitheater
Oakland Tribune May 09,1928
Oakland Tribune May 09, 1928
John Swett Today
School Sign – OUSD
John Sweet Today
The school is now a K-8 community school called Roses in Concrete.
“Our mission is to develop youth committed to lives characterized by self-discipline, integrity, love, and hope in the pursuit of justice and equity for all communities.”
Bids for a new two-story school at the corner of Ney Avenue and Ritchie Street in April of 1948. Parker School was to be the first permanent building to be constructed from the 1945 school bond.
Dedication ceremonies were held in November of 1949
Oakland Tribune Nov 7, 1949
Parker Today
Parker School 7929 Ney – today
Roosevelt High School
Groundbreaking for a new school at 19th Avenue and E. 19th Street took place on November 11, 1922. The cornerstone was placed on March 24, 1923. The school cost $917,452.43 to build. The school was named after Theodore Roosevelt.
Roosevelt in 1923
The school was built to accommodate 1500 students. The dedication took place in September 1924.
From 1923
In 1934 the main school building was closed (I assume due to it being unsafe).
Tompkins School opened on January 07, 1878, at 5th and Linden Streets in West Oakland, named after State Senator Edward Tompkins. There were 231 students enrolled.
Sanborn Map
C.H Clement was the first Principal from 1877 to 1881.
In October of 1894, Tompkins became an observation school under the supervision of the University of California Department of Pedagogy.
Many Firsts
Tompkins school was known for its many “firsts.”
First Kindergarten – in Oakland
First American Flag to fly – in Oakland
First Scientific Child Study Club
First Health Study Club
First Observation School
First Parents and Mothers Club
First of the Experimental playgrounds
The first American Flag to fly over an Oakland School was raised over Tompkins in 1890.
Experimental Playground
In 1909 the first two experimental playgrounds were set up at Tompkins and Prescott Schools.
FireDestroys Tompkins
In August of 1914, the school was destroyed by a fire. Arson was suspected. There were seven school fires in four weeks during July and August.
Plans for a new school were put in place at once. The new school opened on October 11, 1915. There was a $96,000 six-room addition added in 1924. In 1954 another addition costing $148,000 was added.
No More Schooldays
In 1965 the school was razed to make room for the Acorn Projects.
Woodland Elementary School started out being called the Lockwood-Highland School. It was built to relieve the overcrowding in Lockwood and the Highland Schools.
On January 4, 1960, the school opened with 540 students. The one-story school with 14 classrooms, a kindergarten, a library, an administration office, and a teacher’s lunchroom. It was the 29th of 51 school projects proposed in the 1956 school bond election. The school costs $432, 296 to build.
Dedication
Oakland Tribune Apr 26, 1960
A new multi-purpose building was dedicated in November of 1961. Then Municipal Judge Lionel Wilson spoke on “The Role of the Parent in the Eyes of the Judge.”
Oakland Tribune Nov 22, 1961
Woodland Today
Today the school is called Acorn Woodland Elementary (AWE)- At ACORN Woodland Elementary (AWE), we employ a variety of strategies to ensure that a solid base of grade-level skills is mastered, while fostering creative and critical thinking among our students.
In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. and a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
Edison Elementary School
In 1927 the Old Grant school at 29th and Broadway was closed, and two new schools were built to replace it, one on each side of Broadway.
Grant School No. 1 was at Kempton Ave and Fairmount Avenue and, Grant School No. 2 was at Summit and 29th Street.
The school was closed in 1975 because it was not up to earthquake standards. The school was later sold to developers, and the classrooms were converted into expensive condos.
The playground turned into a city park called Oak Park.
I haven’t been able to find any photos of the school from 1908. I will update it. I find some.
Oakland Tribune Dec 28, 1907
Highland School was established as part of the Highland School District in 1908 and was annexed into the Oakland School district in 1909.
New School
The school was dedicated on November 14, 1908. There were 250 pupils had enrolled in the new Highland Grammar School. The Mission-style building was built at the cost of $23,000. There were 8 classrooms with the possibility of adding more.
Oakland Tribune 1908
1923 a one-story 8 classroom addition was built, and in 1924, they added an auditorium for $44,200.
New School
In 1957 the old school building was demolished. Plans were approved for a new school to house 644 pupils. The new school was designed by Andrew P. Anderson and Irwin M. Johnson.
Oakland Tribune Jan 29, 1958
In 1958 a new school was built to replace the one from 1908. The new building has 9 classrooms, a special classroom, administrative offices, a library, and a multi-purpose room. The total cost was $411,999. The 1923 addition was retained.
8521 A Street, Oakland, CAHighland School Today – google maps
More Info:
The school is located at 8521 – A Street Oakland, CA
Today the school is called the New Highland Academy. The vision for New Highland is that our students become creative thinkers, effective communicators, and compassionate members of their community.
Grant School was built in 1885 and was located on Broadway at the corner of 29th Street, then called Prospect Avenue. The Grocery Outlet is now where the school was originally.
A new school was approved in 1904. The plans were drawn up by San Francisco Architects Stone & Smith.
Another New School
The last day of school in the “old Grant School” building was January 9th, 1928. The 500 grammar school children would march in a parade to the new school buildings that were built. The two new buildings were constructed to replace Grant School. At that time they were called
Grant School No. 1 – Edison Elementary School (see above)
Grant School No. 2 – Grant School at 29th and Summit
Oakland Tribune May 30, 1928
The Front entrance in 1928
Building Abandoned
The old school building was abandoned and demolished. The land was sold for $350,000, and the money was used to pay for the new schools and property.
Oakland Tribune Jan 1928
Continuation School
In 1966 Grant became a continuation school.
Grant School Today
It is now the site of the Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy.
The vision of Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy (OEZSA/Street Academy) is to provide students a small, safe, high school with a social justice-focused college-preparatory education.
In December of 1925, Toler Heights School was just one portable classroom, where 40 students attended school. There were six grades in one room under the guidance of two teachers.
New School
In 1927 a new school was built. The school had four classrooms and was Spanish in design. The new school’s capacity was 180 students and cost about $36,000.
Dedication
Oakland Tribune May 1928
The new school building was dedicated on May 24, 1928.
Oakland Tribune May 1928Shared in the Oakland History Group on Facebook
Toler Today
The school is located at 9736 Lawlor St.
In 2007 the school became known as the Alternative Learning Community, a middle school.
In March of 2009, it became notable as the first, middle school in the United States to be officially named or renamed after US President Barack Obama.
It is now the Francophone Charter School. It opened in 2015 as Transitional Kindergarten through third grade, which offers a French language immersion program.
So, with that in mind, I wasn’t going to spend much time on either of these schools, but I found these of Technical High, and I couldn’t resist sharing.
The following are from the book by one of the architects of Tech.
In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. Along with a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Not all schools will be included in this series, and sometimes I might post a picture of the school.’
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
Chabot Elementary School
Bungalow Annex
The Board of Education in May of 1926 approved the plans for a new school to relieve the overcrowding at Claremont School.
The new school was on Chabot Road at Patton Street. The was to have seven rooms and coat $50,000 and was called The Annex.
The “Claremont” Annex was dedicated was on April 21, 1927. The school cost approx. $89,000.
The article below is about the dedication of The Annex or Chabot School .
The new school at the corner of College Avenue and Birch Street was to be named Claremont School, and itopened in August of 1913 as an elementary school. The school was designed by John J. Donovan and Walter D Reed.
By 1916 the school was so crowded that they were using the teacher’s lunchroom and the auditorium as classrooms. Portables were added.
List of Graduates 1921
Oakland Tribune 1921
Oakland Tribune Dec 08 1922
In 1925 7th and 8th grades were added. The elementary grades were transferred to The Annex (Chabot School) when it opened in 1927. Claremont soon after 1927 became Claremont Junior High.
Oakland Tribune August 18, 1933
In the 1950s 28 classrooms were added to the Claremont campus, plus a cafeteria and gymnasium.
SF Examiner May 13, 1951
50th Anniversary
Oakland Tribune 1963
Claremont Today
The Photo By Dorothy Londagin
The historic gates are all that remain of the original school building that was demolished in 1976. The gates were moved to the corner of Birch and College Avenue.
OUSD Photo 5750 College Avenue
5750 College Avenue
Google Maps
More Info:
Members of the Vernon-Rockridge Improvement Club had hoped that the school would be named Vernon-Rockridge.
Claremont Middle the need historical accuracy – Apr 04, 2013
Claremont Middle Centennial will be Accurate- Apr 11, 2013
Crocker Highlands School
In 1922 the board of education authorized the purchase of land for a new school named Crocker Highlands School.
Oakland Tribune 1925
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in April 1925.
The six-room structure costing $40,000 was built as part of the 1924 bond issue. The school was designed by Wythe,Blaine & Olson.
Oakland Tribune 1925
The school was dedicated in September of 1925.
Miss Bernice Baxter was the first principal of the school. There were 61 students enrolled that first year and by 1929 there were 485 students enrolled.
In 1929 plans were approved a new $95,000 addition of 11 classrooms and an auditorium. Blaine & Olson were the architects.
Oakland Tribune 1929
In 1937 another addition was added.
In 1971 the original building from 1924 was declared unsafe in an earthquake and was to be replaced.
Oakland Tribune Apr 22, 1971
In 1976 when the school was upgraded for earthquake safety. They added a two-story with a basement, 10 classrooms, 2 special education rooms, a multipurpose room, a library/resource center, music room, teachers’ lounge, computer lab, kitchen, storage, and custodial rooms.
In 1953 Oakland’s newest school was officially known as Grass Valley School. The name was chosen by parents of the children attending the school after it temporarily known as the Toler Heights Annex.Meadow View and Rancho Benito came in 2nd and 3rd.
On December 11, 1952 the school was dedicated. For the first 3 or 4 years the school consisted of three portables and 100 students.
New School Building
Oakland Tribune Oct 1957
In October of 1957 plans were submitted to build a new school with eight classrooms. a kindergarten, a special education room, a library, multipurpose room and admin. offices. The new school was to house 362 students, cost about $350,000 and was expected to be completed by August of 1958.
Note: I could not locate any pictures of the first school. I will update if I find some.
Oakland Tribune Dec 08, 1922
The school opened in February 1922. It cost $75,000.
They built a Spanish colonial renaissance style two-story structure with cement stucco and a tile roof. The exterior was painted coral with windows green-blue and tiles bright red.
They built it on a triangle piece of property on Broadway Terrace adjoining the Claremont Country club facing Broadway. The school was strictly elementary, teaching only the first six grades.
Triangle piece of land – Apple maps
Large Play Space
“The kindergarten is one of the best in the west.”
Oakland Tribune
The kindergarten contained ample play space, a fireplace and various nooks with a glass porch.
The rooms of all the grades opened upon a terrace which sloped down to a garden. Ventilation in the new building was by windows and not by a fan, and there was a warm bench for drying wet shoes.
New addition planned in 1927.
Plans were approved for a new addition consisting of an assembly hall and 3 classrooms .
Oakland Tribune March 1927
From Aunt Elsie’s Column in 1938
Condemned Building1953 and 1971
In 1953 the auditorium was condemned and closed. Preliminary plans for a new one were drawn up in 1957.
Oakland Tribune 1953
Oakland Tribune Apr 29, 1959
Oakland Tribune Apr 29, 1959
The old building from 1922 was deemed unsafe in an earthquake in 1971.
Oakland Tribune April 15, 1971
In 1978-1979, the school building was torn down and portable classrooms were placed on the grounds.
SF Examiner 1978
The school closed after the 1988-89 school year, and later became Far West High School, which closed in 2011.
This is a continuation of Part 1 – University High School
I hope to show Then and Now images of most of the schools, along with a bit of history of each school I show. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings, postcards, or from the pages in history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
University High School
University High School, which was built in 1922 and opened in 1923 and was designed by Charles W. Dickey. The school is located at 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, (the original street name was Grove Street, but became MLK, Jr. Way in 1984)
The school originally opened in 1923 at what was 5714 Grove Street. Due to the proximity of the campus to the City of Berkeley, “UNI” gained the reputation of the “feeder” high school of Oakland of students directly to the University of California. The high school was closed following World War II in 1948.
University High School Circa 1922
In 1954, the campus was converted into first location of Oakland City College, which later became Merritt College. Merritt College moved to its new campus in 1967. In the early 1970s the location temporarily became a high school again, as Oakland Technical High School moved its students into the campus while its normal location was retrofitted for earthquake safety. At the time, many called this site “Old Tech,” although Oakland Tech was actually opened at its current location in 1914, before University High School.
National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.National Register of Historic Places University High School The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 92001300.
University High School Today
University High Today
The school is now used by the North Oakland Senior Center. Annual events at the Center include holiday dances, birthday parties, and flea markets. There are weekly salsa, swing and line dancing classes, along with activities such as Tai Chi and blood pressure screening.
Fountain of Serenity in Knowland State Arboretum and Park. “Serena,” the statue which tops the fountain, inspires calm and courage in the face of worldly troubles. Oakland Tribune
Latham sold the home to Horace H. Seaton in 1885, who sold it S. Murray in 1892, who then sold it to Edward G. Lukens in 1897. Lukens son was state Senator George R. Lukens.
Oakland Tribune1898
In its heyday, the old Mansion was a showplace. The home was a three-story structure with 25 rooms, a billiard room, a glass conservatory, and a bowling alley in the rear. There was also an ornate two-story barn with a hayloft and with horse stalls.
Undated – the fountain in closer to the right side of the photo.
The Lukens family lived there until the death of Mrs. Emma Lukens in 1925.
Sometime after the death of Mrs. Lukens, the mansion was purchased by Edger L. Buttner, a civic leader, and electrical contractor.
Barn/Livery Stable
In about 1938, Raoul Pause, a leading Oakland ballet teacher, converted part of the old two-story barn into a ballet studio. Many of the Oakland Ballet’s first dancers were students of Raoul Pause., he was the brother of Paul Pause of Montclair Reality.
In October of 1948, the building was damaged in a fire.
In 1952 the same building was destroyed by another fire. At the time of the fire the building was being used by the Hotel Senator (a boarding house) as a garage.
In 1957 the mansion was demolished to make room for an apartment complex.
Oakland Tribune May 17, 1957
The Fountain Today
TheLatham-Ducel Fountain is the centerpiece of Preservation Park. It’s more popularly known as the Diana Fountain. The fountain is cast iron, and was forged in Paris in the 1870s.
TheLatham Square Fountain is located at the intersection of Telegraph and Broadway in downtown Oakland. It was erected in 1913 as a memorial for James H. Latham and Henrietta Latham by their children and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
War work in the Oakland Public Schools during 1918 was considered one of the most important items in the curriculum by both the school administration and the teachers.
They felt the first duty of the schools was to aid the national government in winning the war to the best of their ability.
Service became the keynote of all work. Oakland’s boys and girls realized that they had a particular part to play in making the world a safe place to live in.
Sewing and Knitting Classes
Oakland Tribune Jul 07, 1918
During the summer vacation, thousands of garments for refugees were made by the children as part of their regular classwork.
Boys and girls of all ages learned to knit, and tireless little hands were busy every spare moment making garments for sailors, soldiers, and people of stricken countries.
Berkeley Schools also helped Oakland Tribune Aug 25, 1918
Oakland Tribune August 25, 1918
School and Home Garden Army
The urgent need for higher food production led to the organization of the School and Home Garden Army in Oakland. Fifteen thousand children enlisted, and 6,00 brought their gardens to successful harvests.
Eight charming five-room homes of Spanish and Mission architecture were built by Willis F. Lynn on Nicol Avenue. Five of the houses were sold before they were completed. The last three went on sale on June 14, 1925.
Oakland Tribune June 14, 1925
Each house has:
Breakfast room or nook
Dining room with built-in buffet
laundry room
Hardwood floors throughout
Automatic water heaters
Separate garage
Priced at $5950.00 in 1925.
Oakland Tribune June 14, 1925Lynn Homes Nicol Ave today – Google MpasNicole Avenue today – Google maps2639 Nicol Avenue – today Google Maps
Lynn Homes on Best Avenue
Oakland Tribune Nov 15, 1925
Another group of homes went on sale on November 15, 1925. Located on Best Avenue between Brookdale and Trask. The houses have an attractive and varied style of architecture.
Each of the homes has six-rooms, a garage, and a laundry room.
