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Bacon Block on right - 1916 4

The Bacon Block (sometimes Bacon Building) was two successive commercial buildings on the east side of Washington Street between 11th and 12th Streets.

1881-1902 Building

from 1896 Illustrated Directory

The first building dated back to 1881 and was originally known as the Land and Loan Company's Building, and featured a large painting of the Great Seal of California on its pediment. 1 It was also known as Cavalry Hall, because the 2nd floor was designed to be the home of the Oakland Light Cavalry. 5 It was built and owned by Henry Douglas Bacon (1817 – 1893), who lived at Oak and 9th Streets until his death in 1893. Bacon donated for the now-demolished Bacon Library and Art Gallery at UC Berkeley, the first purpose-built library on campus. 6

The building burned in a dramatic fire the end of 1902. The fire was particularly fierce because one of the building tenants was the Smith Brothers, who sold stationery, but it was also helped by the construction of the building and a lack of water pressure. 2

1887 Sanborn excerpt1902 fire

1903-1971 Building

A new, larger building was constructed in 1903-1904. 3 This building was built by Henry's son, Francis ("Frank") Page Bacon (1848 – 1928). NB: Henry's great granddaughter was Frances Yvonne Bacon (1910 – 1956), better known as burlesque dancer and actress Faith Bacon.

The new building included an arcade (a covered passage) through the building, with entrances on 11th, 12th, and Washington Streets. In 1926, the building was taken over by the Federal Telegraph Company, and became known as the Federal Telegraph Building. 9 In 1928, just two years later, some or all of the building was leased for a new J.C. Penney store. 10 In 1936, J.C. Penney fully remodeled and occupied the entirety of the building -- and the Oakland Tribune published a multi-page special section celebrating the grand opening of the new store 11

The J.C. Penney store closed in 1971, and the building demolished, to make way for the Oakland City Center project. 12 The site then served as a parking lot until late 1988, when construction finally begun on the building now known as 1111 Broadway, which is partially located on the former site of the Bacon Block. 13

1911-1912 Sanborn excerpt Bacon Building 1911 8 Federal Telegraph Building 1926 9

Links and References

  1. Oakland Brevities Oakland Tribune March 10, 1881
  2. Bacon Block Is Destroyed by Fire San Francisco Call December 31, 1902
  3. Stricken While at His Work Oakland Tribune June 8, 1903

  4. H72.131.96C Gift of Herrington & Olson, Oakland Museum of California Collections

  5. Light Cavalry Armory Building Oakland Tribune February 24, 1881

  6. Bacon Library and Art Museum berkeley.edu

  7. 990013879770205115 California State Library

  8. Greater Oakland edited by Evarts Blake, Pacific Publishing Co., 1911

  9. Federal Telegraph Company Headquarters Oakland Tribune October 3, 1926

  10. New J. C. Penney Co. Store Oakland Tribune October 28, 1928

  11. Penney's Grand Opening Section Oakland Tribune March 3, 1936

  12. Penneys - Downtown Store Will Be Closed Oakland Tribune January 14, 1971

  13. American President signs lease for Oakland tower Oakland Tribune April 19, 1988

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