Walter Dickson Reed (February 24, 1878 – July 23, 1933) was an architect, noted for designing a number of buildings in downtown and around Lake Merritt.
Reed was born in Alameda. He graduated from Berkeley High School, then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he earned his degree in architecture. 1 After graduation, Reed went into partnership with Charles Dickey, and served as Architect of the Oakland Park Board following the end of his partnership with Dickey. 1 In 1912 he became a principal in the firm Reed and Corlett with William G. Corlett. 1 He later served on General Pershing’s staff in France during World War I as a Captain in the Engineers’ Reserve Corp. 1
Reed and Corlett designed the Financial Center Building, the Thomson Building, the Oakland Bank of Savings Building, Peralta Hospital, Merritt Hospital, the Stanford University Hospital, as well as many of the structures constructed around Lake Merritt.
Reed married Dagmar Johnson (Reed) on February 24, 1903. They had a son, Walter Reed, Jr. Dagmar had been president of her class (December 1899) at the Manual Training and Commercial High School.
Pages tagged “Walter Reed”
Pages tagged “reed and corlett”
Death and Burial
Reed suffered a heart attack and died at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. 2
Walter, Dagmar, and Walter Jr. are buried in plot 27 in the Johnson family lot in Mountain View Cemetery.
Links and References
- Walter Dickson Reed on Pacific Coast Architecture Database
- Walter Dickson Reed on FindAGrave.com
- Shattuck Avenue Commercial Corridor Historic Context and Survey prepared for the City of Berkeley by Archives and Architecture LLC (available only through the Wayback Machine due to reorganization of the City of Berkeley's website)
- Walter Reed Claimed By Death Oakland Post-Enquirer January 25, 1933
