National Register of Historic Places

South Hall

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Listed
March 25, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004651

About this property

South Hall is the oldest building on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, built in 1873 in the Napoleon III style. It is the only remaining building of the original campus. South Hall was originally the counterpart of North Hall, which no longer exists, but was located where the Bancroft Library currently stands. The first physics laboratory in the United States was hosted in South Hall in 1879. It also has been home to the College of Agriculture, a business school, and a temporary museum for the state geological survey. It currently houses the UC Berkeley School of Information. When Wheeler Hall was planned, the entrance of South Hall was removed from the west side and added on the east side entrance. The original wooden porch was replaced in 1997 with glass fiber reinforced concrete. Campus tour guides often point out a small stone bear, sculpted by Michael H. Casey, in the architecture of South Hall, on the balcony railing above the entrance, in the third circle from the left, claiming it is the smallest bear statue on campus. The four-story building is located southwest of Sather Tower.

Location

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
37.87134, -122.25853

Categories

AGRICULTUREEDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wheeler Hall
Industrial
0 mi
Sather Tower
Industrial
0.1 mi
Doe Memorial Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sather Gate and Bridge
Industrial
0.1 mi
Durant Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was South Hall listed on the National Register?

South Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1982.

What type of historic resource is South Hall?

South Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for South Hall?

The period of significance for South Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near South Hall?

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