Agenda — Richmond City Council, March 24, 2026 (part 3 of 6)

*Recorded by: Caitlin Hibma/Left Coast Architectural History *Date: October 2024  Continuation  Update DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
B10. Significance: (continued)
of Lee's design, it is strongly representational of Lee's design philosophies and shows innovation in his integration of an earlier Second Bay Tradition building with his new Second Bay Tradition addition. It is also one of few buildings in Richmond known to have been designed by Lee. Another is located nearby at 664 Ocean Avenue and was built for Josephine Miles in 1951. Miles was a poet and professor at U.C. Berkeley; another of Point Richmond's artistic academics. It seems likely that she and Haley were acquainted and that Roger Lee's work at 771 Ocean Avenue may have given him entree to designing Miles' house down the street a year or two later. Lee also designed a multi-unit housing project in Richmond for Basic Home Industries in 1956; however the location and status of that work are unknown. (U.C. Berkeley Environmental Design Archives) The property appears to be significant under criterion 5.

6. It is a structure, site, or other improvement which meets any of the above criteria at the highest level, and whose loss would be a major loss to the City
The property at 771 Ocean Avenue meets criteria 1, 2, 4, and 5. It represents the place where an influential artist lived and produced his significant work for nearly 60 years; contributes to a rich history of intellectual and creative community in Point Richmond; and embodies the characteristics of a distinctive regional architectural style as designed by a prominent and pioneering Bay Area architect. Therefore, its loss would constitute the loss of a cultural and architectural element of the Point Richmond neighborhood and the city as a whole.

Because the building also relates strongly to the near-identical building next door (775 Ocean Avenue) and the two have a shared history, the loss of one or the other would mean the loss of that relationship, which would further exacerbate loss to the neighborhood and city.

The property appears to be significant under criterion 6.

Integrity
Although integrity is not a qualifying factor for listing in the Richmond Historical Register, the property's retention of historic integrity is important to its ability to convey its historic significance. Therefore, it is noted that the property retains integrity of location and setting, the studio-house having never been relocated from or re-situated on its bay-side site in the residential neighborhood of Point Richmond. It continues to exhibit its original design, including the significant 1949 addition that supports and enhances its Second Bay Tradition architectural style, and has undergone few additional alterations. This contributes to retention of original materials and features, and expression of workmanship, in that the treatment and application of materials to the specifications of the intended design is still extant. Ultimately, the studio-house has integrity of feeling as a 1930s Second Bay Tradition building and is capable of expressing its significant associations with John Haley, his artistic work, its role in the Paint Richmond creative community, and the significant architectural character that references associations with a notable architect and contributes to the character of the surrounding environment.

Conclusion
The property at 771 Ocean Avenue was built in 1932 to serve as an art studio for John Haley, a U.C Berkeley art professor, influential Modern artist, and originator of the “Berkeley School” style of art. It was also the home of Haley and his wife, Monica. No original architect is known, but the building was designed in the Second Bay Tradition style, and was later enhanced with a living room addition in the same style designed by significant Midcentury Modernist architect Roger Lee. The studio-house is significant primarily for its associations with John Haley and his significant artwork, but also has connections to the broader Bay Area art world, other notable artists and their work, art education, and the rich creative and intellectual community that has historically been present in Point Richmond. Along with the physical character of the studio-house, itself; its association with a prominent Bay Area Modernist architect; and contribution to a neighborhood context of architect-designed Modernist architecture, the property is eligible for listing in the Richmond Historic Register and, subsequently, qualifies as a historical resource for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Sources
Casas, Angelic M. and Katherine Wei, 8 February 2016. “Five men, one town, four decades of art,” Richmond Confidential; https://richmondconfidential.org/2016/02/08/five-men-one-town-four-decades-of-art/ City of Richmond Municipal Code, 15.04.303.060
City of Richmond, 2012. “Richmond General Plan 2023: Chapter 14, Historical Resources.” City of Richmond. “Richmond Historic Register,” https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/2959/Richmond-Register.

California Digital Newspaper Collection; https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc. (continued) B10. Significance: (continued) B10. Significance: (continued)

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Berkeley, BANCMSS93/117, c.

Gautraud, Alexandra A., October 1984. “Cork Trees of Point Richmond,” This Point (Point Richmond History Association newsletter), vol. 3, no.3.

Ghent, Gregory 1993. Haley: A Retrospective, Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center.

Ghent, Gregory 2022. to Emy Lafever (email), “Haley mural around fireplace.” Ghent, Gregory 20224. Interview by author, 27 August 2024, Richmond, CA. by telephone.

Google Maps/Google Street View. Google.com.

Haley, John C. 1982. To Glenn [Wessels] (letter), 2 December 1982; Bancroft Library, U.C. Berkeley, BANCMSS93/117, c.

Hill, Kimi Kodani 2000. Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata's Art of the Internment. Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books.

Hille, R. Thomas 1994. Inside the Large Small House: The Residential Design Legacy of William W. Wurster. New York:

Princeton Architectural Press.

John Haley Biographical Data (binder), Bancroft Library, BANCMSS93/117c, 2:2.

Krevsky Fine Art 2024. “John Haley Bio.” https://krevskyfineart.com/artists/john-haley/john-haley-bio/ Life Magazine 1949. “San Francisco Houses: They embody a new U.S. Regional architecture,” 5 September 1949.

NETR Online. “Historic Aerials.” https://www.historicaerials.com/ NewspaperArchive.com.

Newspapers.com
Online Archive of California, U.C. Berkeley Environmental Design Archives, Roger Lee Collection: Biographical Note; https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf6t1nb2j4/admin/.

Riquelme, Kathleen and Melba Levick 2003. The Studio Book. United States: Universe.

Roselius, Donna 1985. “A Brief Unofficial History of Point Richmond.” Point Richmond, CA: Point Richmond History Association; https://www.pointrichmondhistory.org/history.html
Spake, Pierre 2023. “The Unrecorded Photographic Archive of John C. Haley: 'Berkeley School' artist, teacher, and photographer.”
Tanner, Ogden 1950. "How Living Space was Added on to a Studio House at Point Richmond," San Francisco Chronicle, 21 May 1950.

Treadway, Chris 2016. “A Child's View of War: Paintings produced by shipyard care program youths give a unique glimpse into Richmond history,” East Bay Times, 15 August 2016.

United States Federal Census records.

University of California Academic Senate 1991, “University of California: In Memoriam; John C. Haley, Art: Berkeley.” http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb4t1nb2bd&brand=oac4&chunk.id=meta University of California, Berkeley, Environmental Design Archives. Roger Lee Collection: 1949-1968; project index.

University of California, Santa Barbara, Library. Aerial Photographs collection; https://www.library.ucsb.edu/src/airphotos.

Walker, Lester 1996. American Shelter. New York: The Overlook Press. (continued) B10. Significance: (continued)

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*Recorded by: Caitlin Hibma/Left Coast Architectural History *Date: October 2024  Continuation  Update DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
B10. Significance: (continued)
Weinstein, Dave. “8 Great Modern Masters,” EichlerNetwork.com; https://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/8-great-modern- masters?page=0,5.

Weinstein, Dave 2006. Signature Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area. Lyton, UT: Gibbs-Smith Publisher.

Wikipedia, “Hans Hofman,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Hofmann.

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Historic Images
John Haley, artist and owner/occupant of 771 Ocean Avenue. (Ghent 1993) View of rear facade of 771 Ocean Ave., early 1930s. Hollow clay tile wall separating 771 and 775 Ocean Ave. is still unstuccoed.

John Haley seated on top of wall. (Haley collection, Richmond Museum of History)

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*Recorded by: Caitlin Hibma/Left Coast Architectural History *Date: October 2024  Continuation  Update DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
Monica and John Haley at rear facade of 771 Ocean Avenue, early 1930s. Practice frescos visible on wall . (Haley collection, Richmond Museum of History)
Monica, John, and Hazel Haley on rear patio of 771 Ocean Ave., early 1930s. (Haley collection, Richmond Museum of History)

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*Recorded by: Caitlin Hibma/Left Coast Architectural History *Date: October 2024  Continuation  Update DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
Two paintings of 771 and 775 Ocean Avenue by John Haley.

Top: “Point Richmond Studios on SF Bay,” 1933.

Bottom: “Old Garage with New Studio,” 1932.
(MutualArt.com)

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