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Harrison and Fifteenth Sts. Historic District

Oakland, Alameda County, California Listed Ref. 96001277 District

Also known as: Coit Building Group

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Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).

Why it's listed

This group of eight small buildings fills the west side of Harrison Street between 14th and 15th Streets in downtown Oakland and extends along 15th Street toward Webster Street. Seven were built between 1914 and 1929 as ground floor shops with offices, hotel rooms or apartments above; one infill building dates from 1990. They range from two to seven stories and are faced mainly in tan pressed brick with terra cotta trim, in styles including Renaissance Revival, Art Deco, Tudor Revival and Mediterranean Revival. Roger Coit and his investment company developed the four buildings on Harrison Street, including the Hotel Harrison and Hotel Coit. The district is listed as a surviving pocket of the commercial expansion that carried Oakland's business district east from Broadway toward Lake Merritt after 1906. Its developers and most of its designers were minor figures, but the White Building by Clay Burrell stands out for its glass-walled design on a shallow lot. Alterations have been limited to signs, awnings and some storefronts.

Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant locally under Criterion A for its role in Oakland's commercial development eastward from the Broadway downtown core toward Lake Merritt between about 1906 and 1930. It is one of the few remaining pockets of secondary commercial infill built by smaller investors and businesses. The buildings keep their original uses and are largely intact.

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 96001277, listed November 7, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).

Key facts

Address1401--1501 Harrison St., 300--312 14th St., 300--349 15th St., Oakland
CountyAlameda County
ListedNovember 7, 1996
Reference number96001277
Resource typeDistrict
Period of significance1914-1929
Architect / builderArchitects include Olver and Thomas, A.J. Stern, Leonard H. Ford, Reed and Corlett, Clay N. Burrell and Hugh C. White; builders include F.A. Muller, Coit Investment Company and R.W. Littlefield.
Architectural styleCommercial Style; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals (Renaissance Revival, Art Deco, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival)
Criteria
  • A — associated with events that made a significant contribution to history
Areas of significanceCommunity Planning and Development
Level of significanceLocal
Status (as stated in the nomination)Buildings retain their original uses of ground floor retail with offices, residential hotels or apartments above; some buildings badly need maintenance.
Acreage1.2
Coordinates37.80386, -122.26749 (NPS GIS)

What listing means for this property

This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.

Sources and further reading

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.