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

Barker Building

A.W. Smith, Architect

— 1905 —

Barker Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

1. Barker Building Marker

Inscription. City of Berkeley Landmark
designated in 1978 James Loring Baker was an early Berkeley landowner, developer, and civic leader. He was one of the signers of the incorporation papers for the Town of Berkeley and it was he who delivered them to Sacramento in 1878. Baker helped to finance public school buildings and electric lighting for the city, promoted city tree planting, and established the First National Bank of Berkeley. His family home stood nearby on Dwight Way until it was demolished in 1976.

Development began around the intersection of Shattuck Avenue and Dwight Way in 1876 when “Dwight Way Station” was established here. It was one of four original train stops on the rail line from Oakland into downtown Berkeley along Shattuck Avenue. A horse-car line that ran up Dwight Way to the California School for the Deaf and Blind (now the University of California’s Clark Kerr Campus) intersected with the rail line, and Barker hoped that this area would become the center of downtown Berkeley.

Constructed in 1905, the Mission Revival-style Baker Building was damaged the following year by the San Francisco earthquake but was repaired. During the early 1990s it was rehabilitated. In 1996 the owner renamed the building “The Raj Kumar” in memory of his son, a medical student

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in India, who was killed in a 1986 accident.

Erected 1998 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1978.

Location. 37° 51.855′ N, 122° 16.063′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Berkeley. Marker is on Shattuck Avenue near Dwight Way, on the right when traveling south. The building is located on the northwest corner. The marker faces Shattuck Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2484 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Davis-Byrne Building (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Shuman Block (about 600 feet away); Howard Automobile Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); g. Paul Bishop Studio (approx. 0.2 miles away); Morse Block (approx. ¼ mile away); Tupper & Reed Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Berkeley Public Library (approx. 0.3 miles away); Charles W. Woodworth House (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.

Also see . . . James L. Barker was Berkeley’s booster for five decades - Berkeley Landmarks. (Submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

2. Barker Building Marker

The Barker Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

3. The Barker Building

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 574 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.