Pacific Bowl - Oakland

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Pacific Bowl was a popular bowling alley located at 7425 East 14th Street (now International Boulevard) in East Oakland. When Pacific Bowl opened in December of 1948, it housed 16 alleys (lanes), a billiard room with 12 tables, and "other features."¹ While it was open, the Oakland Tribune printed numerous articles about events at the alley, but it was closed in the late 1960s and the fixtures sold at auction on February 7, 1969.²

Since 1988 the building has been the home of the East Oakland Faith Deliverance Center Church, although Acts Full Gospel Church purchased the property in 2018 when the Faith Deliverance Center was experiencing financial difficulties.

On the former Pacific Bowl parking lot Immediately north of the former bowling alley and on the other side of a drainage canal in what would otherwise be 74th Avenue, a lot also now owned by Acts Full Gospel Church, is located the remains of a clock tower which may have at one time contained an advertisement for the bowling alley.³ The clock tower does not appear on the 1950 Sanborn map, perhaps because it was constructed after the alley itself opened. Note that at least one person speculated that it was constructed much more recently to hide cell towers, although others say the tower has been there much longer than 30 years.³ Note that the building formerly north of the parking lot shown on the Sanborn map excerpt was removed for the construction of Hegenberger Road west of East 14th Street. The City acquired this right-of-way in 1970.

Matchbook image from eBay 1950 Sanborn map excerpt
(fair use) assessor's map showing right-of-way acquired for Hegenberger Road