Northwest Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Toveri Tupa – Finnish Hall
August Trille, Designer, 1908
— Listed on the National Register of Historic Places —
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 21, 2012
1. Toveri Tupa – Finnish Hall Marker
designated in 1979
Toward the end of the 19th-century, a large Finnish immigrant community was located in west Berkeley. Together they constructed this wooden building which integrates traditional Finnish and American vernacular elements. An auditorium with stage, a kitchen and dining hall, a library, and a sewing room helped make Toveri Tupa (“Comrades’ Lodge”) a center of community life.
Vigilante mobs vandalized the building after striking workers were fed here during the West Coast General Strike in 1934. In 1935, ideological divisions led to the construction of a separate Finnish Brotherhood Hall on Chestnut Street. This building then became known as “Red Finn Hall.” Sold in the 1970s, the Hall continues in use as a cultural and community center.
Erected 2000 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Labor Unions • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1979.
Location. 37° 52.245′ N, 122° 17.626′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Northwest Berkeley. Marker is on Tenth Street south of Delaware Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Church of the Good Shepherd (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); 935 Hearst Avenue (about 500 feet away); Bowen’s Inn/Higgins Grocery (approx. ¼ mile away); Workingman’s Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Delaware Street Historic District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fullen Market Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); Spenger’s Fish Grotto (approx. 0.4 miles away); American Photoplayer Co. (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.
Also see . . . The Finnish-American Labor Movement - An Historical Outline. Finnish workers began to participate in the struggling American labor movement which was trying to organize workers in collective action for social and economic justice. (Submitted on March 23, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 21, 2012
2. Toveri Tupa – Finnish Hall
The marker is on the building behind the bush to the left of the steps.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,032 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 23, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
