{"nrhp_refnum":"89000195","name":"Bowles Hall","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Stadium and Gayley Way","address_restricted":false,"city":"Berkeley","county":"Alameda County","state":"CA","lat":37.87308237700006,"lon":-122.25293738899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-03-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture","Education"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Bowles Hall is an eight-story, U-shaped Collegiate Gothic residence hall at Stadium and Gayley Way in Berkeley, California, built in 1928 on the slope of Charter Hill and designed by George Kelham.","why_significant":"It opened on January 26, 1929 as the first public university-owned dormitory in California, donated to the University of California by Mary McNear Bowles in memory of her husband. It is argued to be an exceptional example of Kelham's Gothic design fitted to a steep hillside, in keeping with John Galen Howard's campus plan. Its suite layout and system of student self-government are also cited as educational contributions.","narrative":"Bowles Hall is an eight-story residence hall built in 1928 against the steep slope of Charter Hill in Berkeley. Designed by George Kelham in the Collegiate Gothic style, it is a U-shaped building of reinforced concrete with a terra cotta tile roof, gothic arches, oriel windows, gables, dormers and a crenelated tower. Inside are an oak-paneled lounge, a dining hall, the Hart Library, and suites built around a shared study room. It opened on January 26, 1929 as the first public university-owned dormitory in California, funded by a gift from Mary McNear Bowles in memory of her husband, Philip Ernest Bowles, a former regent. Kelham followed John Galen Howard's campus plan by placing the hall on the hillside and shaping its design to its purpose as a home-like residence. The American Institute of Architects gave it a certificate of honor. The hall also introduced student self-government through the Bowles Hall Association, and it remains largely unaltered.","period_of_significance":"1928-1929","architect_builder":"Kelham, George, Architect","architectural_style":"Collegiate Gothic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as retaining nearly all original features, with minimal changes. The roof, tile containment, restroom moisture damage, entry balustrade and stairs, and earthquake safety are noted as needing attention. Still used as student housing.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.664993-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/89000195.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000195/eedd3bc75a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000195/eedd3bc75a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bowleshall.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, <a href=\"http://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:Bowleshall.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858165","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowles_Hall","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4951110"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/alameda-county/bowles-hall-89000195/"}