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

Hillside School

Walter H. Ratcliff, Jr., Architect, 1925

— Listed on the National Register of Historic Places —

Hillside School Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 21, 2012

1. Hillside School Marker

Inscription. City of Berkeley Landmarks
designated in 1982 Berkeley architect and civic leader Walter H. Ratcliff, Jr. designed the Hillside School as one his last public commissions. The school takes its name from the Hillside Club, an early 20th-century Berkeley group that promoted harmony with nature and Arts and Crafts ideals, and helped establish the Bay Region tradition of architecture.

Built as a replacement for a rustic shingled school destroyed in the 1923 Berkeley Fire, this Tudor-style building is distinguished for its craftsmanship, proportions, and use of natural light. Notable features include a paneled auditorium with a grand multipaned window, a fireproof slate roof, and heavy wood doors with Gothic archways. “The Mothers’ Club,” founded in 1902 at Hillside School, was the earliest established PTA in Northern California.

Erected 2000 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1982.

Location. 37° 52.86′ N, 122° 15.563′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in Berkeley Hills. Marker is on Buena Vista Way, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at

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or near this postal address: 2550 Buena Vista Way, Berkeley CA 94708, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. La Loma Steps (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Annie and Bernard Maybeck House (about 800 feet away); Temple of Wings (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rose Walk (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jensen House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Robert Hale Merriman Residence (approx. 0.2 miles away); Daley’s Scenic Park Street Improvenents (approx. ¼ mile away); Allenoke Manor (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 21, 2012

2. Hillside School Marker

Hillside School image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 21, 2012

3. Hillside School

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 631 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 24, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.