Liberty Hall - Oakland, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

"Built in 1877, Liberty Hall embodies the many layers of West Oakland history. It is an outstanding example of Mid Victorian commercial architecture, with octagonal turrets, ornamental brackets, and window hoods. It was operated as the Western Market by its original owner Harry A Zeiss, who lived upstairs and later by a German family, that of Johan Breiling. Early West Oakland was famed as a 'melting pot', with large strong ethnic communities among them German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Slavic and African Americans. In 1925, Oakland Branch No 188 of the Marcus Gavey's United Negro Improvement Association bought the market and renamed it Liberty Hall after their headquarters in Harlem. The largest mass movement of African Americans in history the UNIA had over 1000 chapters in 40 countries. In Oakland its membership grew to over 500. Garvey believed African Americans could achieve economic power by owning their businesses. In the mid 1930s Liberty Hall was used by Peace Mission of Father Divine, an African American minister who organized 160 missions throughout the country. The Oakland Peace Mission offered Depression Era banquets for a few pennies per meal, a dormitory and a furniture repair shop in the now demolished stable. The movement began to decline after the start of WWI, but the Oakland branch was listed in the telephone directory at this location until 1956. From the closing of the Peace Mission until the 1970s, Liberty Hall was occupied by several African American churches. In 1985 it was abandoned and schedules to be demolished. Through their and leadership of Sister Pat Sears, CSJ, Sister Joanna Bramble, CSJ and many others, Jubilee West bought and renovated Liberty Hall to house it services to the neighborhood."

Group that erected the marker: City of Oakland Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 1485 8th St Oakland, CA USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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