Ladies' Relief Society Children's Home
Also known as: North Oakland Recreation Center; Studio One; Studio One Art Center
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Why it's listed
This two-story building at 365 45th Street in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood once housed the Ladies' Relief Society Children's Home. Roughly 123 by 143 feet, it combines wood framing with first-story load-bearing brick walls and shingled upper walls. Its U-shaped plan is symmetrical, with a projecting central bay on the south facade and second-story bay windows on the arms. The present building follows a 1894 version, rebuilt in 1906-1907 after a fire without the earlier dormers, entry towers and porte cochere. A small concrete-block kiln building and bridge, added in 1963, are the only noncontributing resource. The Ladies' Relief Society formed in 1871 after the Chicago fire and soon sought to shelter needy women and children, opening Oakland's first nonsectarian charitable facility in 1872. Led mainly by women, the group shaped the site's long use. The City of Oakland acquired the property in 1948 and later used it as Studio One. Rehabilitation is planned.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the building to the Ladies' Relief Society of Oakland, whose history it calls an important and revealing part of local social history. The Society ran Oakland's first nonsectarian charitable facility, set up and directed largely by women. The property keeps a high degree of historic integrity despite later changes and deterioration.
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 06000612, listed July 13, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 365 45th St., Oakland |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | July 13, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000612 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style (main building); no style for the kiln building and bridge |
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Oakland and long used as Studio One. The building suffers from deferred maintenance and earthquake damage, and a comprehensive rehabilitation project began preliminary work in 2005. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.83327, -122.25675 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 06000612.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123243689
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.