Mills Hall
Also known as: Mills College
Why it's listed
Mills Hall is the original seminary building of Mills College in Oakland, California. Construction began in June 1870, and in 1871 the school moved there from Benicia, where it had begun in 1852 as a Young Ladies Protestant Seminary. Dr. and Mrs. C.T. Mills had bought 55 acres at the Oakland site. Bugbee and Sons designed the building in the Second Empire, or Mansard, style. It has a symmetrical U plan, a four-story central section, three-story wings, bay-windowed pavilions and round-headed dormers set in a concave Mansard roof. The frame is wood with rustic siding, and the reception hall is finished in the Ionic order. The building first held classrooms, living quarters and a hospital ward. Later it served mainly as a dormitory and social hall with few changes, and it is now used for administration. The nomination also stresses the college's standing in women's education, noting its first degrees in 1889 and full accreditation in 1918.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the building is a good example of Second Empire or Mansard architecture with a symmetrical U plan. It also marks the 1871 move of Mills College from Benicia to its permanent Oakland campus. The nomination places the college among the nation's leading women's colleges.
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 71000132, listed October 14, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mills College campus, Oakland |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | October 14, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000132 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | S.C. Bugbee and Sons, Architect (HABS sheet also lists Bugbee & Sons as architect and J.H. Wilber as builder) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire or Mansard Style |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition and altered; used as administrative headquarters of Mills College, with the HABS sheet noting use as a residence hall. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.77978, -122.18200 (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 71000132.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q93210335
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.