Downtown Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Roos Bros. Building

Miller and Pflueger, Architects, 1926

— City of Berkeley Landmark, designated in 1984 —

Roos Bros. Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012

1. Roos Bros. Building Marker

Inscription. In 1876 the Central Pacific (later Southern Pacific) Railroad expanded into downtown Berkeley. What is now Shattuck Square was the site of freight yards; Berkeley Station was located on the smaller block to the south. By 1903, as the business district grew, the existence of freight yards in the downtown was no longer considered appropriate. A small park with palm trees, lawns, and benches replaced the eastern side of the yards. The block was subsequently sold for development.

This building, the central element of a three-building retail and office complex, was designed in 1926 by James Miller and Timothy Pflueger, prominent San Francisco architects, to house Roos Brothers, a San Francisco based department store. The building was advertised as a “modern clothing emporium" designed to surpass all others with skylights and an electric lighting scheme featuring “Celestial and X-Ray Silver Mirror fixtures” (now removed). Berkeley’s downtown Roos Brothers attracted customers with “public telephones, restrooms, beauty and hair cutting parlors & even a golf fairway and putting green.

All three Roos brothers were University of California graduates. The building was painted blue and gold, the University’s colors, and golden bears still decorate the upper facade. The building was restored in 1978.

Erected

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1998 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.

Location. 37° 52.3′ N, 122° 16.085′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Berkeley. It is on Shattuck Square south of University Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 64 Shattuck Square, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Shattuck Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Heywood Building (within shouting distance of this marker); S.H. Kress Co. Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Studio Building 1905-06 (within shouting distance of this marker); F.D. Chase Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Kittredge Shattuck Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Golden Sheaf Bakery Annex (about 400 feet away); Site of David Park’s Studio (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 28, 2012

2. Roos Bros. Building Marker

The marker is on the left edge of the Roos Building.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,720 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.