CC SA-BY Our Oakland

Oakland Tribune 1908 5

581 - 18th Street is a 3-story brick building, currently known as Jefferson Court Apartments, with 24 units.

According to Zillow, the current building was constructed in 1940, 3 but that's when it was converted to apartments. It was built in 1908 as 1 story of commercial space plus 1 story of offices; the Sanborn maps support this. Charles Mau designed the building for wine seller Theodore Gier. 5

The sidewalk in front of the building has a very nice set of vault lights, i.e., glass blocks with prisms to let light into the basement space. See Oakland Underfoot.

1911-1912 Sanborn fair use

1912-1951 Sanborn fair use

Earlier Uses

undated Cheney Photo Advertising photo, public domain
c.1912-1917

From 1909 until 1917, Theodore Gier had his wholesale wine shop at that address.

In the 1930s, it was used as an auction house. 1

The 1940 street directory lists it as M. Ellison - General Merchandise. At 579 was the Oakland Sign Company. 2

Links and References

  1. Petersen's Extraordinary Auction Sale Oakland Tribune February 7, 1937
  2. Pacific Telephone 1940 Street Directory
  3. 581 - 18th Street Zillow.com
  4. 1909 ad Oakland Tribune December 4, 1909
  5. Gier Building is Nearly Finished Oakland Tribune December 13, 1908