National Register of Historic Places

Chamber of Commerce Building

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Listed
August 28, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85001916

About this property

Chamber of Commerce Building is a historical building in downtown Berkeley, California. The Chamber of Commerce Building was built in 1925. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1985. The twelve-story Chamber of Commerce Building was the first highrise building in Berkeley. The building was designed by Walter H. Ratcliff Jr. for the Central Berkeley Building Company. The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce headquarters was on the top floor from 1925 to 1938. The Chamber of Commerce moved across the street to 100 Berkeley Square in 1838. In 1905, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce was founded. In 1927, on the ground floor the American Trust Bank Berkeley Branch opened. In 1938, the building's name changed to the American Trust Building. The famous Stanford Axe award, was stored in American Trust vault and was the stole by the University of California on its way to the Greek Theater in an armored car on April 3, 1930. Later Wells Fargo Bank moved in and the building became the Wells Fargo Building. The building was listed as a City of Berkeley Landmark on December 17, 1984. James W. Plachek designed a number of other buildings in Berkeley, including: Berkeley Public Library, Corder Building, New Hotel Carquinez, UC Theatre, schools, and civic buildings. Architect James W. Plachek office was the Heywood Building.

Location

2140--2144 Shattuck Ave. & 2071--2089 Center St.
Berkeley, Alameda County, California
37.87048, -122.26854

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Golden Sheaf Bakery
Industrial
0.1 mi
Studio Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
U.S. Post Office
Industrial
0.2 mi
Berkeley Public Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Berkeley Historic Civic Center District
Listed
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chamber of Commerce Building listed on the National Register?

Chamber of Commerce Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Chamber of Commerce Building?

Chamber of Commerce Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chamber of Commerce Building?

The period of significance for Chamber of Commerce Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Chamber of Commerce Building?

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