Anna Head School for Girls
Why it's listed
Anna Head School is a group of redwood-shingled buildings arranged around a quadrangle at Channing Way, Bowditch and Haste Streets in Berkeley. Built between 1892 and 1927, it began with Channing Hall, designed by Soule Edgar Fisher, and grew through additions by builder John B. Sprague and architect Walter H. Ratcliff, who designed eight of the buildings. The unfinished shingles and rustic interiors reflect the Bay Area Shingle Style and West Coast Arts and Crafts ideals. Channing Hall is described as the first recorded fully shingled building in Berkeley. The complex also housed Anna Head's school for girls, a boarding and day school for thousands of students, from 1892 until it moved to Oakland in 1964. The buildings now belong to the University of California and serve as offices, a child care center and cultural space. Some exterior repairs have been haphazard, and fire damage from the late 1960s remains visible in places.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is a strong example of the Shingle Style and the Bay Area tradition. Its 1892 original building is described as the first recorded fully shingled building in Berkeley. It is also significant as the original home of one of California's oldest private girls' schools, which operated there until 1964.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000795, listed August 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2538 Channing Way, Berkeley |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | August 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000795 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 to 1927 |
| Architect / builder | Fisher/Ratcliff (Soule Edgar Fisher; Walter H. Ratcliff; builder John B. Sprague) |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style / Bay Area tradition (Queen Anne massing, Arts and Crafts ideals) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the University of California and used for offices, a child care center, cultural activities and storage. Some exterior changes and patched fire damage from the late 1960s are noted. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.86662, -122.25687 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000795.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5689059
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.