Oakland Ave - Harrison St in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Site of Saint Mary's College
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 10, 2022
1. Site of Saint Mary's College Marker
St. Mary's College
"The Old Brickpile"
1889-1928
Erected 1959 by Saint Mary's College Alumni. (Marker Number 676.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the California Historical Landmarks series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1755.
Location. 37° 49.201′ N, 122° 15.697′ W. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. It is in Oakland Ave - Harrison St. Marker is at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Hawthorne Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Broadway Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3093 Broadway Avenue, Oakland CA 94611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Connell Motor Company (within shouting distance of this marker); El Camino Rancho San Antonio (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Augustine's Episcopal Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); The War With Spain Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); USS Maine Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Key Route Train Station (approx. 0.7 miles away); Paramount Theatre (approx. 0.8 miles away); Morcom Amphitheater of Roses (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oakland.
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Regarding Site of Saint Mary's College.
• Saint Mary's College was founed in 1863 in San Francisco by Archbishop Joseph Alemany. The school's initial faculty was five lay professors and two priests, and had 417 students registered in the first year.
• In 1868, Christian Brothers took over the administration of the school.
• In 1889 the school transferred to a new site on Broadway in Oakland. The new building, known as "The Brickpile", was opened on August 11, 1889, and cost $325,000. Over the building's relatively short lifespan, it suffered two fires - in 1894 and 1918, and was also heavily damaged in the 1906 earthquake.
• In 1928, the school transferred to a new site in Moraga, some 12 miles to the east of Oakland site, and the Oakland facility was demolished.
• Saint Mary's College continues its educational mission today, providing undergraduate and graduate students educations in Liberal Arts, Science, Education, and Economics and Business Administration.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 10, 2022
2. Site of Saint Mary's College Marker - wide view
The marker is seen here on the right side of the alcove leading into The Broadway apartment complex, about 150 feet south of its former location.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 10, 2009
3. Site of Saint Mary's College Marker (former version)
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 10, 2009
4. Site of Saint Mary's College Marker - Wide Shot (former location)
The whole block was redeveloped and the building housing the auto dealership on which the plaque was placed no longer exists.
Photographed By W. S. Jones, 1889
5. Saint Mary's College, circa 1889
Here is Saint Mary's College as it appeared shortly after construction was completed in 1889. This photo is taken from Britton and Rey's Picturesque Oakland: 1889, provided courtesy of the Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library.
Photographed By Adolph Witteman, 1892
6. Saint Mary's College, circa 1892
Here the building is depicted several years later, after some landscaping had been done. This image is from Adolph Witteman's Oakland, Calif. Illustrated in Photo-gravure From Recent Negatives, provided courtesy of the Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2009, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,895 times since then and 20 times this year. Last updated on December 20, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 10, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 14, 2009, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
