Piedmont Avenue Elementary School – Oakland CA

City:
Oakland, CA

Site Type:
Education and Health, Schools

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Description

The old Piedmont Elementary School burned on July 24, 1938.  Federal aid was sought for building a new school, which was dedicated April 12, 1941.

This Art Deco school building is complete with auditorium, library, kindergarten classroom, kitchen, offices, and regular classrooms.

There is also a WPA sidewalk marker in front of the school.

Source notes

"Oakland school, 48 years old, ruined by arson," Oakland Tribune, July 25, 1938, p. ll.

Location Info


4314 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
Alameda County

Location notes:

Coordinates: 37.829123, -122.24879

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One comment on “Piedmont Avenue Elementary School – Oakland CA

  1. Stephen Chappell

    I believe that the WPA marker date was merely the date it was installed. According to my dad, who attended the school (and I think my great-aunt was a principal at one point), it opened when he was around 8 years old. That would have been 1939. My dad passed a couple of years ago, so I can’t confirm that with him, but other sites seem to agree with the ‘39 date.

    Piedmont Avenue was a wonderful place to grow up near during the Depression. You had the school, Fenton’s (what kid wouldn’t want to live a block from there?) and the Piedmont Theater which charged something like a dime or a quarter for a double bill. My great-aunts lived in the old home on Entrada, and I got to grow up visiting one of the sweetest small towns in the area.

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One comment on “Piedmont Avenue Elementary School – Oakland CA

  1. Stephen Chappell

    I believe that the WPA marker date was merely the date it was installed. According to my dad, who attended the school (and I think my great-aunt was a principal at one point), it opened when he was around 8 years old. That would have been 1939. My dad passed a couple of years ago, so I can’t confirm that with him, but other sites seem to agree with the ‘39 date.

    Piedmont Avenue was a wonderful place to grow up near during the Depression. You had the school, Fenton’s (what kid wouldn’t want to live a block from there?) and the Piedmont Theater which charged something like a dime or a quarter for a double bill. My great-aunts lived in the old home on Entrada, and I got to grow up visiting one of the sweetest small towns in the area.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.