The citizens of the State of California are about to lose three historic structures in Berkeley that represent pinnacles of architectural design and are associated with pioneering California women.  We are petitioning the Governor and key state legislators in a last-ditch effort to secure and direct funding in the next state budget to ensure their existence for future generations of Californians. The first step is to direct that money already allocated in the current draft budget for UC be required to be applied to secure these buildings immediately.

The buildings, which are owned by UC Berkeley, are: 

• The magnificent Hearst Memorial Gymnasium (Bernard Maybeck & Julia Morgan, architects, 1925–27);
• The Anna Head School, built for pioneering women’s educator Anna Head, is one of Berkeley’s oldest Shingle Style buildings and the most famous among them; and
• The historic William H. Smyth House/Fernwald is the oldest structure in Berkeley (c. 1867) and was remodeled by Julia Morgan in 1911.

More on all three here and below. Our plea for money in this year’s budget be allocated to maintenance and preservation of these structures is due to the acute situation caused by UC’s failure to protect these important state properties from squatters and the effects of the elements. The cost to secure them immediately and then renovate them for future generations of Californians to enjoy is miniscule in comparison to the millions being spent on less worthy projects. 

These Buildings Are in Immediate Danger
Earlier this month, UC personnel had to be rescued by fire fighters from the Anna Head School when one of the many squatters there apparently set fire to a portion of the property – a fire that is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal. Prior to that fire– which endangered life as well as the national landmarked property -- UC was on notice that homeless people had taken up residence there AND there were four prior fires at the location within 12 months! The Smyth-Fernwald House has likewise been ceded to partying intruders who have plundered the building and pose an acute danger not only to the building itself, but also to themselves and to neighboring properties.  

Sadly, the Hearst Gymnasium, where generations of women, and more recently men, swam is now surrounded by wire fencing and slowly deteriorating through water damage.  It is the only building in existence co-designed by world famous Californian architects Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan who literally brought their Beaux Arts training to the Athens of the West to create a masterpiece in honor of UC’s greatest patron, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, who opened doors for literally generations of Californian women to attend UC.   Without immediate action, it too will be lost.

More needs to be done to secure these wonderful buildings; and more needs to be done now.  UC has commissioned studies of these buildings--assessing condition and needs--over many years but never initiated restoration or even emergency remediation of defects caused by deferred maintenance and unauthorized intruders. UC Berkeley should not be allowed to decide unilaterally to doom these magnificent structures to demolition by neglect.  We beg you at a minimum to direct funding already allocated to UC in the current draft budget be required to be used to secure these magnificent structures (the particulars of which are detailed in the enclosed summary) until additional state budget funding (or private resources) can be allocated to their restoration.

Learn more about all three here:

http://berkeleyheritage.com/docs/3_Desperate_Monuments.pdf

Learn more about the individual sites here: 

the Hearst Gym:

http://berkeleyheritage.com/docs/hsr_hearst_gymnasium_sept2005.pdf

the Anna Head School:

https://annaheadschool.org

the Smyth-Fernwald/Batchelder-Smyth House house at: http://berkeleyheritage.com/eastbay_then-now/smyth.html