Designed and constructed in 1925 by McWethy and Greenleaf for Robert Howden, the Howden Building is a commercial structure with intricate Spanish Baroque/Moorish ornamentation. His company, Robert Howden and Sons, occupied this building and sold mantels, grates as well as floor and wall tiles. The Howden family business operated in the building from 1925 to 1927, when the company moved to a location in Piedmont. Today, the building lives on as a space for the Spice Monkey Restaurant, a beauty salon, a bookstore and a psychic reading office on the first level.
The Alameda County Title Insurance Co. Building is located on the corner of Fourteenth Street and Franklin Street in Oakland. The building was designed by architects McCall & Davis in the Beaux Arts style as an office building and was completed in 1923-1924 by Dinwiddie Construction Company. On the back of the building is the magnificent but faded mural, Mitzvah: The Jewish Cultural Experience.
Stoof at 305 feet, the Tribune Tower is a 22-story building located in downtown Oakland. The building itself was constructed 1906 and the tower was later erected in 1923. It is currently the 11th tallest building in Oakland. The architecture of the tower was inspired by St Mark's Campanile in Venice, Italy. The building was opened by Joseph R. Knowland on January 1, 1924, as the home of the Oakland Tribune newspaper, and became a symbol of both the Tribune and the city of Oakland.
Located on a narrow sliver of land at the intersection of Broadway and Telegraph Avenue, the Cathedral Building is one of the most striking buildings in Oakland. Originally known as the Federal Realty Building, the structure got its nickname because of its terra cotta spires which resemble a Gothic cathedral.
Constructed in 1913, the Latham Square Fountain commemorates the lives of James H. Latham and Henrietta Marshall Latham. The fountain was a gift from Edith and Milton Latham who wanted to honor their parents, James and Henrietta Latham, who were pioneers of Oakland and promoters of Humane Education. James Latham was born in Ohio, served in the US-Mexican war at age 17, and worked for Wells Fargo & Co. before opening what was then the largest brokerage business in San Francisco. He lived with his wife Henrietta, whose family had been involved in the gold rush, in a mansion on 17th and Jackson where they raised their three children, Edith, Milton and Charles.
Built in 1879, the remarkable structure now known as The Rotunda was originally Kahn's Department Store. After changing ownership numerous times over the years, the building suffered considerable damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake. The building underwent a $50 million restoration beginning in 1999, and has since reopened as The Rotunda.
Constructed in 1914, the Oakland City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Oakland, California. Standing at the height of 320 feet (98 m), it was the first high-rise government building in the United States. At the time it was built, it was also the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. This new Beaux Arts building replaced the previous City Hall building which formerly stood on the same plot. The building was designed by New York-based architecture firm Palmer & Hornbostel in 1910, after winning the $5,000 grand prize in a nationwide design competition over 27 other competitors.
The land on which the First Unitarian Church of Oakland stands upon was purchased in November 1888 from Jane K. Sather, a patron of the University of California. Construction of the Church began in 1890 and was completed in September 1891, although it was used for various activities while still unfinished. The building was designed in by Walter J. Mathews in a solid masonry Romanesque Revival style which departed radically from California's then predominant wood framed Carpenter Gothic style churches. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake damaged the building heavily but did not destroy it. The church is listed as California Historical Landmark and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many people would not believe how much African American History was created and developed in Northern California. Most people remember a lot of riots and movements that transpired down in the southern California region around Los Angeles. Because of this, a museum was created and build to educate the many people that did not know what had happened in their own backyards. This museum was created to educate the Bay Area on how much has happened there when it comes to the African American lifestyle and struggles in the centuries before. The African American Museum and Library at Oakland was a creation of four people who started collecting oral histories and artifacts and in 1946 and their aspiration became a dream many will never forget.
The Museum of Children's Arts (MOCHA) was formed by Jill Vialet and Mary Marx in 1989. They created this museum in order to support children in the community, and to allow them to showcase their creativity and imagination. MOCHA eventually moved to a new location in order to offer more programs to the youth, and to have a better opportunity to assist in generating more family-oriented programs. MOCHA has made a positive impact in several areas around their community, such as low-income families, schools, and libraries, where they have joined together with parents, teachers, artists, and students. MOCHA feels that educating children about art is necessary in order to allow the child to develop socially, emotionally, and culturally.
For most of the twentieth century, the Fox Oakland Theatre operated as a movie theater. It ceased operations in 1970, but reopened in 2009 as a concert venue. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Constructed in 1931, The Paramount Theatre is an incredible Art Deco performing arts and movie palace with 3,434 seats. It was designed by architect Timothy L. Pflueger. Construction on the theatre began in late 1930 and was completed in 1931, with the grand opening on December 16, 1931. The building fell into a state of disarray for three decades until it was purchased by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association in 1972, which completed the restoration of the building. On January 7, 1975, the Paramount Theatre was designated as an Oakland Landmark and in 1976 the theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour winds through downtown Oakland and includes stops at several of the city's historic theaters and buildings. The tour includes prominent downtown buildings, landmarks like Latham Fountain and Tribune Tower, and several sites related to the African American history of Oakland.
