Oakland Hotel

The Oakland Hotel is a historic building in Oakland, California. It was built as a luxury hotel by P.J. Walker in 1912, with investments from businessmen Francis Marion Smith, Edson Adams and W.W. Garthwaite. From 1943 to 1963, it was a hospital for the United States Army and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. It was subsequently unoccupied until 1978, when it reopened as a retirement home. The building was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since September 4, 1979. Significance The architectural and historical significance of the Oakland Hotel is notable, as it played a key role in local commerce. Its ground-floor public rooms are richly adorned in the grand hotel style, unique to Oakland and among the city's most exquisite interior spaces. Designed by Bliss and Faville, a renowned San Francisco firm known for prominent buildings like the St. Francis Hotel and the Bank of California, the Oakland Hotel is distinguished by its U-shaped design, allowing all rooms to have street views and ample natural light due to occupying an entire city block. Between 1912 and 1943, the Oakland Hotel was the leading lodging establishment in the city and one of the most distinguished in the San Francisco Bay Area. It played a crucial role in the city's commercial expansion and progress. The proposal for the hotel dates back to 1906, prompted by the San Francisco earthquake and fire, which redirected much of the city's commerce to Oakland. This shift presented an opportunity for Oakland's business community, which aimed to position the city as a strong competitor to San Francisco. A grand hotel was deemed crucial for this goal to host important visitors and conventions in impressive surroundings. The Oakland Hotel Company was established in September 1906, with initial funding through $750,000 in stock and bonds, later increased to $3,000,000. Major investors included business figures like F.M. "Borax" Smith, Edson Adams, and W.W. Garthwaite, the latter becoming the hotel's company president. Retail investors included prominent local businesses such as H.C. Capwell Co., Kahn Brothers, Taft and Pennoyer, and Charlie Jurgens. Originally, Henry Janeway Hardenburgh, famed for designing New York's Plaza and Old Waldorf-Astoria and Boston's Copley-Plaza, was chosen as the architect. However, financial setbacks and Hardenburgh's travel difficulties led to Bliss and Faville taking over, with Purdy and Henderson of Seattle serving as consulting engineers. Walter Bliss also designed the hotel's interior furnishings. The construction contract was awarded to P.J. Walker, and the hotel officially opened on December 23, 1912, with a grand dinner and ball attended by 1,150 guests, including local dignitaries and social elites. The evening featured a special menu and the "Hotel Oakland March" composed by orchestra director Gustave Schultheis. Despite financial challenges that delayed the completion of the upper floors, the hotel became a prominent social hub in the East Bay, hosting significant events like a 1919 ball attended by 4,000 people and conventions such as the California Republican Assembly and the American Legion. Notable guests included Presidents Wilson, Coolidge, and Hoover, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Sarah Bernhardt, and Jean Harlow. Mary Pickford even sold Liberty Bonds at the hotel in 1918. Management issues and the Great Depression led to multiple bankruptcies in the 1930s. The hotel was ultimately taken over by the Army in February 1943 for use as a regional hospital during World War II, with the furnishings auctioned off. Post-war efforts to reopen the hotel were unsuccessful, and it remained a Veterans Administration hospital until August 1963. The building was vacant for several years, but was reopened in 1981 as an affordable housing property for seniors. It underwent a seismic renovation in 1992, and as of 2021 has almost 400 senior residents. References