Claremont Court Gate and Street Markers
CITY OF BERKELEY LANDMARK
designated in 2005
Claremont Court Gate and Street Markers
Claremont Boulevard and Russell Street
John Galen Howard, Architect, 1906
These entry gates help define one of Berkeley’s most gracious residential areas, Claremont Court,
which was designed to attract the growing number of prosperous Bay Area professionals in the early
1900s. Developer Mason-McDuffie engaged Howard, the University’s supervising architect, to
design the gateway.
The elegant red brick pillars heighten the formal ambiance
of the area. Their moldings of ivory-colored terra-cotta,
Ionic capitals, and clusters of acanthus leaves follow the
Beaux-Arts aesthetic. The central pillar dividing the street
was later removed to ease traffic as cars became popular.
Additional entry gates stand on Avalon Avenue, Forest
Avenue, Derby Street, and Russell Street.
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
2009