702:. In 1913, the hotel's investors sponsored AB 1620 (known as the Ferguson bill), supposedly to further restrict alcohol near churches and schools statewide, but specifically excluding the Claremont Hotel from the dry zone. Influenced by activism from women's clubs and temperance groups in Berkeley, the Ferguson bill was defeated by one vote. Nationwide prohibition of alcohol was instituted on January 17, 1920, when the Volstead Act, enacted pursuant to the 18th Amendment, went into effect. On December 5, 1933, the 18th Amendment was repealed by enactment of the 21st Amendment. After repeal, the Claremont Hotel continued to suffer from the state law prohibiting the sale of liquor within a mile of the university. In 1937, the law was amended to measure the distance following street routes rather than a straight line, and the hotel was then able to serve liquor legally. According to a story on the hotel's website, a student at the university discovered in 1936 that the route was over a mile and was awarded free drinks for life. This point had been publicly discussed in 1913.
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1954, the
Gillums sold the hotel to the Harsh Investment Corporation, which leased it to Murray Lehr; Lehr added the first tennis courts and swimming pool to the site. Harsh took over active control in 1971 and implemented more physical changes, completing the project to enclose the verandas started under the Gillums and replacing gardens with tennis courts and parking.
624:
nearly to the doors of the
Claremont Hotel, terminating between the tennis courts that are now part of the Berkeley Tennis Club. Claremont Hotel guests not only had views of San Francisco, but could go there directly from the lobby steps. The Key System tracks were removed in 1958 along with the rest
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Unused properties were sold off starting in the 1920s, including the portion southeast of "The Short Cut" pedestrian path connecting Tunnel Road and
Alvarado, and the southwestern area now occupied by the Berkeley Tennis Club. Under the Gillums, the Claremont Hotel building was painted white. In
466:
The site was developed initially by an early settler, William Butler
Thornburgh, from Jefferson County, West Virginia, who constructed a large home there in approximately 1870 which he called a "castle". After his death in 1878, it was purchased by John Ballard. On July 14, 1901, a wildfire
632:
Besides the direct rail connection, the
Claremont Hotel was also convenient to vehicular traffic, as it was situated along the principal route over the Berkeley Hills via Claremont Canyon. In 1903, a small tunnel (the Inter County Tunnel) was excavated above Temescal Canyon (the next canyon
467:
descending from the hills burned the house to the ground. On
November 10, 1905, the property was acquired by Louis Titus on behalf of the Claremont Hotel Company for approximately $ 37,500. The Claremont Hotel Company was a group of investors that included Mr Titus, along with
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In 1873, a state law was enacted that prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages within 2 mi (3.2 km) of the
University of California. This statute was amended in 1876, reducing the prohibition distance to 1 mi (1.6 km) from the perimeter of the
431:, including the entirety of the hotel building, the spa, the gardens and parking area. However, two small portions, one just east of the Berkeley Tennis Club and the other near the intersection of Claremont Avenue and Russell Street, are within the city limits of
637:, which ran initially from the end of Russell Street but was subsequently re-routed to connect with Ashby Avenue. The same route later led to a newer, larger tunnel which opened in 1937 as the "Broadway Low Level Tunnel", later renamed the
517:. Construction resumed for a time in 1910, but further difficulties impeded progress. In the meantime, a referendum in November 1909 brought the annexation of the area that included most of the hotel site into the city limits of Oakland.
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The
Berkeley Tennis Club leased a portion of the grounds southwest of the hotel from 1917 to 1945. In 1945, the Club purchased this section of the grounds, and remains located at 1 Tunnel Road in Berkeley, next to the hotel.
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273:, near the intersection of Claremont Avenue and Ashby Avenue, the site straddles the city limits of Berkeley and Oakland. The border between the neighboring cities runs down the former
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to the south, and open space and private homes to the east; it was originally in unincorporated
Alameda County, outside of any city limits. The majority of the property is in
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across the Bay in San
Francisco. It is comparable in scale and design to contemporary grand resort hotels completed in California between 1876 and 1914, including the
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545:(1907). Lindblom would acquire the hotel in 1918, which he held until it was sold to Claude C. Gillum and his wife in 1937. As completed, the hotel was built in the
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579:, Winthrop Realty Trust and Capital Trust foreclosed on the property. In 2013, the owners reached a deal to sell the Claremont and three other properties to the
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The Claremont has 279 guest rooms, a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m) spa, 10 tennis courts, and 22 acres (8.9 ha) of landscaped gardens.
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in 2003, but was not listed due to owner objection. It is a designated Oakland City Historical Landmark. The hotel has been a member of
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1307:"Claremont Hotel", Registration Form, National Register of HIstoric PLaces, Berkeley/Oakland Neighbors of the Claremont, 2003, p.40-41
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Construction of the hotel began soon after the 1905 purchase, contemporaneously with the nearby Claremont Park development of
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575:. On February 1, 2011, the resort filed for bankruptcy due to losses attributed to the ongoing recession. Lenders including
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stories say it was once won in a checkers game. The hotel was nominated and deemed eligible for listing on the
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for $ 86 million. In May 2023, the hotel was purchased by Ohana Real Estate Investors for $ 163 million.
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1145:"An Act to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors within two miles of the University of California"
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641:. The street address of the Claremont is still 41 Tunnel Road. Tunnel Road is a designated part of
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invested a substantial amount of money to complete the hotel in 1914 and it opened in 1915 as the
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of the Key System. The Key System had constructed another large hotel near downtown Oakland, the
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1119:"Key System was the Bay Area's original BART, and then it vanished. Here's how to find it"
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8:
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1057:"Historic Berkeley hotel Claremont Club & Spa sold for $ 163M", SF Gate, May 15, 2023
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right of way that now serves as a pathway between the tennis courts which belong to the
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A transbay Key System railway line (eventually designated the "E" line) ran from the
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890:"National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS 10-900: Claremont Hotel"
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At its elevation of 400 ft (120 m), the site provides scenic views of
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483:. Smith and Havens were already involved with what came to be known as the "
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California Women and Politics: From the Gold Rush to the Great Depression
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1171:"An Act to amend section one hundred and seventy-two of the Penal Code"
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1284:, April 2, 1913, Page 4, column 3, comments by Mayor Mott of Oakland.
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Around The Claremont, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
1069:"Ohana closes on historic Claremont Hotel in Berkeley for $ 163M"
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Selected locations in and near the Claremont Club & Spa
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Claremont Club and Spa, A Fairmont Hotel official chain website
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California Penal Code Section 172. Subd. (d) was added in 1937.
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423:, generally bounded by Claremont Avenue to the north and west,
487:", a major transit and real estate development company in the
262:
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Robert W. Cherny; Mary Ann Irwin; Ann Marie Wilson (2011).
1040:"Claremont Hotel bought by Fairmont and Richard Blum group"
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Story of the session of the California Legislature of 1913
1025:"Paulson-Owned Resort Group Chapter 11 Exit Plan Approved"
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Advertisement in the 1919 Automobile Bluebook (publ.1918)
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Claremont Club and Spa, A Fairmont Hotel official website
1096:"Call for Golden Gate trains unlock Key System memories"
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that is situated at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the
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style, with its exposed half-timber decorative finish.
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Photo: Key System E Train Leaving the Claremont Hotel
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History of Claremont Resort from the official website
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845:"Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel: History"
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583:. The Claremont was purchased in March 2014 by the
998:"Century-old Claremont Hotel files for bankruptcy"
780:F. Eisenmeyer; F. Jury (1983). "The Tennis Club".
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752:"Claremont Hotel is a towering East Bay landmark"
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1334:Claremont Hotel Berkeley, The Craftsman Bungalow
1228:. Press of the James H. Barry company. pp.
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1354:Buildings and structures in Oakland, California
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784:. The Berkeley Historical Society. p. 264.
491:, whose commuter trains began rolling in 1903.
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581:Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
560:The reception of the Claremont Hotel c. 2017.
1201:. University of Nebraska Press. p. 191.
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895:. Berkeley/Oakland Neighbors of the Claremont
633:southward), accessible by a new road dubbed
1259:. The Claremont Hotel. 2007. Archived from
984:Oakland Berkeley City Directory 1906, p.105
1384:Tourist attractions in Oakland, California
525:, in time to accommodate travelers to the
415:The site is a few blocks southeast of the
259:Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
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16:Hotel in the hills of Berkeley, California
1155:. State of California. Ch. XIII p. 12.
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19:For other places with the same name, see
1181:. State of California. Ch. DX p. 109.
629:, which also had its own train service.
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456:National Trust for Historic Preservation
571:In 2007, the Claremont was acquired by
564:The Claremont faced destruction in the
527:Panama–Pacific International Exposition
505:, there were few surrounding buildings.
1359:Companies based in Oakland, California
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796:"National Register Information System"
1023:Christie Smythe (February 22, 2013).
1004:from the original on February 4, 2011
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1374:Hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area
1012:– via San Francisco Chronicle.
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801:National Register of Historic Places
448:National Register of Historic Places
42:View east from the parking lot, 2006
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769:The Claremont Hotel and Spa website
750:Allen, Annalee (November 6, 2011).
13:
996:Kary, Tiffany (February 2, 2011).
820:"Claremont gets 'landmark' status"
417:University of California, Berkeley
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1389:1915 establishments in California
1369:Hotel buildings completed in 1915
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1117:Buchannan, Bill (July 31, 2023).
1094:Jim, Clifford (October 9, 2017).
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1038:George Avalos (March 21, 2014).
782:Exactly Opposite the Golden Gate
622:San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
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21:Claremont Hotel (disambiguation)
1394:Railway stations closed in 1958
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888:English, John S. (April 2003).
719:"Alameda County Assessor's map"
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370: Points of interest
1:
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454:, an official program of the
1409:Oakland Designated Landmarks
1177:Session of the Legislature.
1151:Session of the Legislature.
375: Nearby landmarks
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1399:Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
1169:California State Assembly.
1143:California State Assembly.
954:Supreme Court of California
921:. July 15, 1901. p. 4.
915:"Ballard Home Is Destroyed"
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233:Oakland Designated Landmark
132:Ohana Real Estate Investors
10:
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1404:Historic Hotels of America
1364:Hotels established in 1915
1222:Franklin Hichborn (1913).
849:Historic Hotels of America
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452:Historic Hotels of America
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1098:. San Mateo Daily Journal
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700:University of California
498:As originally completed
425:Ashby Avenue/Tunnel Road
387:Hotel & Spa building
31:Claremont Club & Spa
261:is a historic American
150:Design and construction
1322:July 19, 2011, at the
1253:"Free Drinks for Life"
1179:Statutes of California
1153:Statutes of California
932:Berkeley Daily Gazette
613:
566:1991 Oakland firestorm
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159:Charles William Dickey
1379:Resorts in California
1044:San Jose Mercury News
824:Berkeley Daily Planet
806:National Park Service
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473:Francis "Borax" Smith
409:Seldon Williams House
192:Number of restaurants
973:. November 13, 1905.
950:157 Cal. 673
587:chain and financier
401:Berkeley Tennis Club
282:Berkeley Tennis Club
105:37.8588°N 122.2418°W
76:Berkeley, California
469:John Hopkins Spring
187:Petite Queen Suites
101: /
61:Oakland, California
52:General information
1000:. Bloomberg News.
659:Following station
651:Preceding station
614:
562:
535:Hotel del Coronado
507:
271:Claremont district
240:Reference no.
110:37.8588; -122.2418
1263:on August 4, 2008
1208:978-0-8032-3503-8
1027:. Bloomberg News.
690:
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670:Transbay Terminal
618:Transbay Terminal
577:Paulson & Co.
539:St. Francis Hotel
421:Clark Kerr Campus
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289:San Francisco Bay
269:. Located in the
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169:Other information
137:Technical details
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639:Caldecott Tunnel
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808:. July 9, 2010.
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515:1906 earthquake
511:Duncan McDuffie
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481:Duncan McDuffie
477:Frank C. Havens
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1075:. May 16, 2023
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543:Fairmont Hotel
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589:Richard Blum
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563:
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256:
200:Bayview Café
199:
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155:Architect(s)
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829:November 2,
693:Prohibition
635:Tunnel Road
611: 1939
531:Mission Inn
503: 1915
142:Floor count
108: /
96:122°14′30″W
83:Coordinates
1414:Key System
1348:Categories
1267:January 3,
1184:direct URL
1158:direct URL
1149:Twentieth
1079:August 13,
706:References
655:Key System
604:Key System
485:Key System
275:Key System
93:37°51′32″N
620:over the
394:Club area
1320:Archived
1002:Archived
685:Terminus
668:towards
537:(1888),
533:(1876),
489:East Bay
444:Romantic
433:Berkeley
295:Overview
196:Limewood
57:Location
1257:History
1008:July 4,
462:History
429:Oakland
278:E train
206:Website
121:Opening
68:Address
1205:
1123:SFGate
952: (
948:,
479:, and
326:160yds
893:(PDF)
729:(PDF)
722:(PDF)
606:map,
263:hotel
129:Owner
1269:2011
1232:–04.
1203:ISBN
1130:2023
1104:2023
1081:2024
1010:2019
901:2022
856:2022
831:2012
737:2020
324:150m
257:The
124:1915
1230:303
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