Downtown Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Golden Sheaf Bakery Annex
City of Berkeley Landmark - designated in 1978
— Clinton Day, Architect, 1905 * Jim Novosel, Architect, 2000 —
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 3, 2011
1. Golden Sheaf Bakery Annex Marker
In 1877, English immigrant John G. Wright founded the Golden Sheaf, Berkeley's first wholesale/retail bakery. The original bakery, with a public dining room, stood around the corner on Shattuck Avenue. Bakers lived in an on-site dormitory and students boarded in rooms upstairs. The business grew into the region's largest bakery, and this annex was constructed to house its fleet of horse-drawn delivery wagons. Wright helped found a bakers' union in 1904, and provided a meeting place here for groups advocating termperance and women's suffrage. In 1906 the bakery produced thousands of loaves of bread to feed refugees from the San Francisco earthquake.
The bakery business was sold to Wonderbread in 1909 and was moved from this site. In 2000, developer Avi Nevo renovated and restored the building. He then donated it to the adjacent Berkeley Repertory Theater to house its children's education center. The brick facade still features the Golden Sheaf name and symbol in terra-cotta relief.
Erected 2001 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of David Park’s Studio (a few steps from this marker); S.H. Kress Co. Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Kittredge Shattuck Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Heywood Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chamber of Commerce / Wells Fargo Bank (about 300 feet away); Roos Bros. Building (about 400 feet away); Shattuck Square (about 500 feet away); F.D. Chase Building (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.
Also see . . . Golden Sheaf Bakery. Susan Cerny and Daniella Thompson's present the history of the Golden Sheaf Bakery, including several photos. On the design of the bakery annex, "... The Golden Sheaf building is a Classic-inspired, two-story red brick and terra-cotta structure with a three-part composition. Four pilasters frame three vertical bays, which contain three sets of paired arched windows on the second story. Above the central bay there is a sign molded
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 3, 2011
2. Golden Sheaf Bakery Sign and Sheaf
The terra cotta sign was produced by the Gladding McBean Company in Lincoln (Placer County).
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 3, 2011
3. The Golden Sheaf Bakery Annex (1905)
The marker is visible here, mounted on the building between the center and right-hand bays.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 998 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 10, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
