Croll Building
Why it's listed
At Webster Street and Central Avenue in Alameda, this commercial building combines several historic structures into one L-shaped, wood-frame complex. The three-story mansard-roofed corner portion was built in 1879 by Patrick Britt as a hotel and tavern. Around 1908, John G. Croll moved a two-story building and two smaller structures from his nearby amusement park and bathing resort, Croll's Gardens, and unified them architecturally with the original hotel. The facades combine Mansard and Italianate features, including bracketed cornices, curved dormers, and transoms. Inside, the original tavern keeps its tile flooring and a mahogany bar shipped around Cape Horn in 1902. The building matters for its design, for its status as one of the earliest taverns in the region, and for its link to the Gardens. Croll also housed famous boxers here, among them Jim Corbett and Jack Dempsey. Fire gutted the upper floors in 1945, and a 1980 rehabilitation converted them to offices while retaining the saloon.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a fine blend of Mansard and Italianate design and one of the earliest taverns in the Bay Area or California, in near-continuous use since 1879. It is also tied to the nearby Neptune Gardens bathing resort and amusement park. In the early twentieth century it housed and trained prominent boxers.
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 82000960, listed October 4, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1400 Webster St., Alameda |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | October 4, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82000960 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built in 1879 by Patrick Britt) |
| Architectural style | Mansard and Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in commercial use; the tavern remains in operation and the upper stories were converted to offices in a recent rehabilitation. The condition is marked fair and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.77156, -122.27622 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82000960.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5187541
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.