Chamber of Commerce/Wells Fargo Bank

Chamber of Commerce/Wells Fargo Bank (HMZBD)

Location: Berkeley, CA 94704 Alameda County
Buy California State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 52.228', W 122° 16.11'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 604 views
Inscription

Walter H. Ratcliff, Jr., Architect, 1925-27

— City of Berkeley Landmark - Designated 1984 —

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

For nearly a half century, this steel frame and concrete structure, clad in brick and terra cotta, was Berkeley's only "skyscraper." Walter Ratcliff, highly respected for his fine residences and public buildings throughout Berkeley, designed this Classic Revival commercial tower at the peak of his career. Six ground floor arches were added soon after construction to replace original storefronts. The west wing was designed to accommodate additional stores at a later time, a plan derailed by the Depression.

In 1930, the contested Stanford Axe, on its return to the bank's vault for safekeeping, was stolen outside the Center Street doors by Stanford students disguised as news reporters and Cal students.
Details
HM NumberHMZBD
Tags
,
Year Placed2010
Placed ByBerkeley Historical Plaque Project
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 20th, 2014 at 1:00am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)10S E 564336 N 4191695
Decimal Degrees37.87046667, -122.26850000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 52.228', W 122° 16.11'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 52' 13.68" N, 122° 16' 6.60" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)510, 415
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 2144 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA 94704, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us