Garfield Intermediate School
Also known as: Berkeley Unified School District Administration
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Why it's listed
Garfield Intermediate School is a one-story, wood-frame Spanish Colonial Revival building at 1414 Walnut Street in Berkeley, built in 1915 to designs by Ernest Coxhead. Classrooms ring wide arcaded corridors with vaulted ceilings, and two enclosed courtyards meant as outdoor classrooms flank a 400-seat auditorium that opens onto them through French windows. Cement plaster covers the walls, red clay tile roofs most of the building, and classical entrances carry friezes of laurel leaves and cherub faces. It was one of five schools that prominent Bay Area architects designed on limited budgets as part of a 1915 city building program. Coxhead designed four schools in his career, and this is the only one that survives, making it one of few of his buildings left in the East Bay. It is also regarded as a sophisticated example of the California outdoor school. Later changes include a composition roof over the auditorium and two relocated 1913 bungalows.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the last institutional works of Ernest Coxhead and the only one of his four schools still standing. It is also a fine early example of the California "outdoor" school, with courtyards, arcades and operable windows, and part of a 1915 Berkeley school building program.
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 82002160, listed June 14, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | June 14, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002160 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915 |
| Architect / builder | Ernest Coxhead |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in fair condition; plaster has fallen in places, the auditorium roof was altered, and the bungalows are in poor condition. It has served as the school district administration building. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 37.88201, -122.26843 (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 82002160.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123279378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.