Hillside School, Berkeley, California
historic place
In Berkeley, California, stands the Hillside School, a significant historic place in Alameda County. Designed in the Tudor Revival style by architect Walter H. Ratcliff, Jr., the school was constructed in 1925 and opened in 1926. It was built to replace an earlier elementary school destroyed in the devastating 1923 Berkeley fire. The school takes its name from the Hillside Club, an early 20th-century Berkeley group that promoted harmony with nature and Arts and Crafts ideals. When it opened, Hillside School was considered Berkeley's grandest public school building. It is recognized for its craftsmanship, proportions, and use of natural light. Notable architectural features include a paneled auditorium with a large multipaned window, a fireproof slate roof, and heavy wood doors with Gothic archways. Historically, the original Hillside School was also home to "The Mothers' Club," founded in 1902, which became the earliest established PTA in Northern California. The current building was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in 1982 and added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year. A historical marker detailing these facts was erected in 2000 by the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project. Hillside School represents a period of significant architectural and community development in Berkeley.