Berkeley Civic Center Dedication Ceremony
Description
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Building was originally constructed for the federal Farm Credit Administration, a New Deal agency. It was built between 1938 and 194o, hence started under the Treasury Department (which handled federal buildings at the time) and the Public Buildings Administration in the reorganized Federal Works Administration.
The six-story Moderne-style building was designed by noted Berkeley architect, James Plachek. The building consists of two towers, with a middle section. There are steps and a concrete archway leading to the main entrance of the building. There were entrances on both sides in anticipation of the creation of a Berkeley Civic Center park.
The building seems to have housed other agencies in the 1930s and 1940s, such as the Federal Land Bank and the California Farm Bureau. More information is needed on this.
The City of Berkeley acquired the building in 1977 for its city hall, which was later renamed the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center. It is a designated Berkeley landmark.
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Berkeley Civic Center Dedication Ceremony Marchers
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Berkeley Civic Center Overview
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Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Front
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Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Entrance
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Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center View from Entrance
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Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Plaque
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Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Sign
Source notes
Smith, Harvey. Berkeley and the New Deal. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Books. 2014.
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=7884
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8EV3_Martin_Luther_King_Jr_Civic_Center_Berkeley_CA
Project originally submitted by Shaina Potts on April 23, 2010.
Additional contributions by Richard Walker.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
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