1801 Jefferson - Oakland

c.1948 photo courtesy Christine Romine Thresh¹

1801 Jefferson (also known as 612 - 18th Street) was an interesting building at the northwest corner of 18th Street and Jefferson (possibly built or renovated in 1946). It was demolished September 8, 2015, to be replaced with a 6-story, mixed used building called "The Jefferson" that fills the entire (oddly-shaped) block.

Over the years it has/may have been home to:

courtesy Christine Romine Thresh ²

Alpha Distributing Company (at 1811 Jefferson) ¹
Peretti Signs (at 1815 Jefferson, the right hand part) ⁶
Dick Merrill Signs / Merrill Sign Company - perhaps as early as 1939 ⁵ or mid-40s ⁸, c 1948 ¹- 2012 ⁴
Funky Soul Stop Records (at 1811 Jefferson), as shown in this picture circa 2007
More Public Radio - Jazz Beat Radio - low power FM radio station, c.2013 (src; see also FCC info)
Ray of Hope Foursquare Church (src)
Calculator Engineering, Inc. - selling office equipment, c.1969 (src)
Romine Printing and Direct Mail Service Co. - run by J. Davis Romine, c.1948 ^1,2 - before 1958

In 1948, the original Doggie Diner opened nearby. ⁸

NB: In the Alameda County assessor's records it is APN 3-61-11 with an address of 612 - 18th Street. The building and 3 parcels on the block sold for $1,442,455 in November, 2014. ³

In 2012 it was the home of Merrill Sign Company, and had a large sign reading "Welcome to Oakland President Obama, 99 percent Obamaland" which was torn down by protesters during President Obama's visit to Oakland. ⁴

1912-1951 Sanborn map excerpt
showing sign painting shop
at 1815 Jefferson St.
(fair use)