Berkeley Civic Center

Berkeley, California

National Register of Historic Places, 1998

With the support of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, Susan Cerny and Jerri Holan successfully nominated Berkeley’s Historic Civic Center to the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination included archival research at local repositories, historical literature, photographic documentation, and coordinating the nomination with the California Office of Historic Preservation.

For almost one hundred years, Berkeley’s Civic Center District has served the needs of its government and community. The district includes federal, regional, and local government buildings, along with a community theater, a YMCA, and a Veteran’s Memorial Building all surrounding a central park. These diverse buildings reflect significant social aspects of Berkeley’s history. The park and buildings illuminate the variety of architectural influences (the City Beautiful Movement, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco) that prevailed during the first half of the 20th Century. They were designed by renowned architects and, fortunately, the district is unaltered and retains a high degree of integrity.

SEE ALSO: Read the full submission at the National Register of Historic Places