Oakland Iron Works-United Works, and the Remillard Brick Company
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Why it's listed
Along Second Street in Oakland, between Jefferson and Clay Streets, stands a group of seven interlocked industrial sections that grew from two separate firms. Ives Scoville founded the Oakland Iron Works in 1871 and moved it to Second and Jefferson in 1882, where about 60 workers made steam engines, mining machinery and iron castings. The company was renamed United Iron Works in 1904 and operated under that name until 1955. Next door, the Remillard Brick Company, incorporated in 1879, kept stables, an office and a hay barn on its yard. United Iron Works acquired those buildings between 1918 and 1921 and merged them into its expanded shop. The complex includes wood-frame sheds clad in drop siding and corrugated metal, and a three-story brick office and pattern-storage building with a corbelled cornice and a cog-wheel emblem. Fires in 1889 and 1894 damaged the works, yet the exterior remains largely intact. It was listed as a rare survivor of 19th century iron and brick manufacturing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex contributed significantly to industry in the San Francisco Bay Area (Criterion A) and embodies the characteristics of 19th century industrial buildings (Criterion C). It is described as a rare survivor of the iron and brick age of manufacturing in Oakland, with a highly intact exterior despite interior remodelling and fires.
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 83001171, listed August 25, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 552--592 2nd St., Oakland |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | August 25, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001171 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1882-c1925 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant; exterior described as having remarkably high integrity, with the interior extensively remodelled and periodically damaged by fire. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.79745, -122.27892 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001171.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133254706
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.