CC SA-BY Our Oakland
The Pioneer Investors - Porter Building is located 409-11 Fifteenth Street, Oakland, California. Originally a Mediterranean commercial building which was remodeled into a Moderne building. Designed by William E. Schirmer and Charles W. McCall, Paulson & Marini was the builder in 1922, the other builder is unknown.
This is a tall, narrow two story and mezzanine reinforced concrete Moderne commercial building on an interior lot. The lower half of the facade is divided into three tall glazed openings separated by polished beige terrazzo surfaced piers. The upper facade consists of a single long, horizontal, sharp edged window surrounded by plain pinkish gray terrazzo slabs. The stuccoed side wall shows brick underneath, and the outline of a former arched window.
The present facade is a 1949 remodeling by William E. Schirmer of a 1922 brick and terra cotta building with an arcaded loggia and Spanish tile roof designed by Charles W. McCall for F. F. Porter Real Estate and the Oakland Real Estate Board. Schirmer's earlier buildings in the district include the Mediterranean Graneton-Brownell Building at 1437-45 Franklin Street and the Art Deco Central Building & Loan Association Building at 363-69 Thirteenth Street. The new facade is a late example of the theme of Moderne remodelings in the district.
This historic building is #49 on the list of District Contributors/Noncontributor for the Downtown Oakland Historic District Registration Form. The Pioneer Investors/Porter Building is a non-contributor.
Links and References
- National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Oakland Historic District
