National Register of Historic Places

Founders' Rock

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Listed
March 25, 1982
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82004642

About this property

Founders' Rock is a historical site located on the corner of Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road, in Berkeley, California, U.S.. The spot, according to college lore, where the 12 trustees of the College of California, the nascent University of California, Berkeley, stood on April 16, 1860, to dedicate the property they had just purchased. This is, supposedly, the same spot where Frederick H. Billings stood in 1866 when he remembered Bishop Berkeley's verse — "Westward the course of empire takes its way" — and thus inspired the name of the new city. A plaque was put on this spot on Charter Day in 1896, by the graduating class. It is listed as one of the National Register of Historic Places since March 25, 1982; listed as a California Historical Landmark since March 25, 1982; and a Berkeley Landmark since February 25, 1991.

Location

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
37.88347, -122.25658

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
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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Everything a full report reveals about Founders' Rock

This page lists Founders' Rock. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hillside School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Phi Delta Theta Chapter House
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0.5 mi
Cloyne Court Hotel
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0.5 mi
Berkeley Hillside Club
Industrial
0.6 mi
Drawing Building
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Founders' Rock listed on the National Register?

Founders' Rock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Founders' Rock?

Founders' Rock is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Founders' Rock?

The period of significance for Founders' Rock is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Founders' Rock?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Founders' Rock will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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