{"nrhp_refnum":"78000651","name":"Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"9th and Castro Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oakland","county":"Alameda County","state":"CA","lat":37.80402999800003,"lon":-122.27964764199999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-05-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["European","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Orthodox church building at 9th and Castro Streets (920 Brush Street) in Oakland, Alameda County, California, built in 1920 to designs by architect Charles Burrell and built by Palmer & Peterson.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a very pure example of the Neo-Greek mode of Beaux-Arts classicism, with a rare temple front of two Doric columns in antis. It is described as the oldest Greek Orthodox church in the East Bay and second oldest in California. It also served as the cultural and social hub of Oakland's Greek immigrant community.","narrative":"This one-story concrete church with a mezzanine and basement was built in 1920 in Oakland, California, to designs by architect Charles Burrell, with Palmer & Peterson as builders. Its white-painted facade recalls an ancient Greek marble temple, with a triangular pedimen supported by two fluted Doric columns set in antis, a feature an art historian consulted for the nomination knew of nowhere else in the Bay Area. Doric cornices, palmettes and meander patterns decorate the exterior. Inside, the plan follows a Greek cross under a hemispherical dome, with a three-part sanctuary, a narthex-like entrance and a gallery where women sat. The church was the first permanent gathering place for Oakland's Greek immigrants, who had arrived since 1890, and served as a center for language, music, dance and tradition. It is described as the oldest Greek Orthodox church in the East Bay and second oldest in California. Later records state it was relocated about one block because of a federally funded highway project.","period_of_significance":"1920","architect_builder":"Charles Burrell (architect); Palmer & Peterson (builder)","architectural_style":"Beaux-Arts with a Neo-Greek mode; floor plan and many interior features from the Byzantine tradition","criteria":[],"status_note":"Exterior described as excellent and historically intact; interior in excellent condition with minor removable additions. Later documents note the church was moved about one block as part of a highway project mitigation.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.64932-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000651.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000651/d35dc07f31-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000651/d35dc07f31-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_Orthodox_Church_of_the_Assumption_(Oakland,_CA).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_Orthodox_Church_of_the_Assumption_(Oakland,_CA).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858232","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Church_of_the_Assumption","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5601851"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/alameda-county/greek-orthodox-church-of-the-assumption-78000651/"}