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1926 photo 1The Bechtel Building, also known as 244 Lakeside Drive, is a 12-story Beaux Arts-style apartment building near Lake Merritt designed by Maury Diggs and completed in 1926. 1 The building was a project of Stephen Bechtel and Joseph Knowland, and the Bechtel and Knowland families lived in the building for a number of years. 2
It was originally constructed as a "cooperative apartment," which sounds like a present-day condominium. The building included separate quarters on the second floor for any servants. 1
This apartment building is one of two which replaced the home of spice magnate August Schilling, and was one of eight high-rise apartment buildings which were constructed near Lake Merritt during the economic boom of the 1920s.
Although it can't be seen clearly by many people except in nearby tall buildings, the top of the building features ornate sculptures.
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Links and References
- New Apartment Home Structure Marks Progress Oakland Tribune May 30, 1926
- Gold Coast Redux / Take a drive on Lakeside, Oakland's memory lane Oakland Tribune June 23, 2002
