Berkeley City Club

An historic hotel in downtown Berkeley, the Berkeley City Club is an architectural gem constructed in 1927 and designed by California architect Julia Morgan.

In 1890, young girls typically married after high school. Not Julia Morgan. She attended UC Berkeley, which had just begun enrolling women, studied Civil Engineering under the tutelage of architect Bernard Maybeck and was the only woman in the graduating class of 1894 with a degree in Civil Engineering. She was also the first woman to enroll in Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1898, where she received her Master's degree in architecture in 1901. Julia, you do us proud.

www.berkeleycityclub.com

On this courtyard, surrounded by the Club on four sides and open to the darkening sky, this fountain nymph which resembled a small laughing boy was transformed under my hand into an approximation of Mark Twain in a loincloth.

Tuesday at Mills College

A quiet afternoon on the Mills campus in Oakland as students were leaving for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Mills, an independent liberal arts college for women with graduate programs for men and women, was founded in 1852, two years after California achieved statehood and the same year the city of Oakland was established.  Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies (chartered 1855) and predates the University of California and Stanford.

In the wake of the U.S. presidential election, it was heartening to visit an historic center for the education of women.

Mills Hall (designed by S.C. Bugbee & Son) became the home of the college in 1871, when Mills moved from Benicia to Oakland.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Believed to be the first FREESTANDING bell tower on a US campus.  Unscathed in the 1906 earthquake.

Summer Solstice at the Chapel of the Chimes

"Garden of Memory" is an incredible annual event that you should not miss--a walk-through concert to celebrate the summer solstice at the Julia Morgan-designed Chapel of the Chimes, an Oakland Historic Landmark building.  A crematory and columbarium, the chapel is "a haven of peace and tranquility with an innovative array of gardens, cloisters, alcoves, stairwells, fountains and chapels" filled, for this event, with creative avant garde and experimental musicians.  The audience is free to wander and enjoy.  The evening ended with a communal bell ringing at sunset.  Thank you, founder Sarah Cahill and the sponsoring organization, New Music Bay Area.

People strolled, sat on benches and even leaned on statues  while enjoying the  music.

Henry Kaiser on guitar while Brenda Gale painted and then hung her  work on the wall behind.

In the Chimes Chapel waiting for  the a cappella group, Kitka, to perform

Playing the film music of Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone on the outdoor terrace.
 

Drummer John Hanes

Sketching @Berkeley City Club

Words simply can't describe the architectural beauty of this building designed by Julia Morgan.

The Berkeley City Club

from their website:  "THE BERKELEY CITY CLUB IS A HISTORIC HOTEL, private social club, and event venue. It has been accepted into the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. In 1927, a small group of women felt the need for a center around women’s activities and had cherished the plan of bringing this into being in Berkeley. These women hired Julia Morgan to design and supervise the construction of the Club, also known as the 'Little Castle' since Miss Morgan was also building the Hearst Castle and many of the buildings features remind visitors of the Hearst Castle.

Upon opening in November 1930, it was the Berkeley Women’s City Club, which became a center for social, cultural, recreational, and family activities in the East Bay. At the height of its legacy as a social club, there were 4,000 female members. In 1965, the club opened its door to both men and women. The membership legacy continues to thrive as a hub for social, business, and cultural interactions."

The foyer and reception desk

Olympic-size pool