Point Richmond Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Point Richmond Historic District is the downtown area of Point Richmond in Richmond, California
and is on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
. The completion of these projects attracted the first residents to this area.
Point Richmond served as the downtown district of Richmond until the city expanded along the central flatlands of western Contra Costa County during the beginning of the 20th Century. This city's expansion led to a larger downtown to the northeast which was exacerbated by tens of thousands of World War II shipbuilding workers. Point Richmond was the terminal of the East Shore & Suburban Railway's Refinery-County Line route; that rail system was a predecessor of the Key System
Today maps are provided by the city of Richmond's Convention and Visitors Bureau for individuals to take walking tours of the historic zone. The historic area is now only a small portion of the larger neighborhood but still serves as the center for neighborhood businesses and civic affairs. There was much controversy regarding the inclusion of a Starbuck's café in 2004 as the area had up until that point not had any chain stores, although many residents opposed the coffee shop it opened in that same year and the residents have calmed regarding the subject.
The Historic District is accessible from Interstate 580
, Richmond Parkway
, Macdonald Avenue
, Cutting Boulevard
. AC Transit
bus route 72M MacDonald connects with the Richmond BART and Amtrak Station
. Golden Gate Transit routes 40 and 42 connect with the station and Marin County; the former serves del Norte Station
.
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
and is on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
History
The historic district developed when in late 1890s when the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railway occupied 57 acres (230,671 m²) of land in the area that is now the neighborhood downtown of Point Richmond. The acres were bought by the Santa Fe Railroad upon completion and at the same time the Pacific Coast Oil Company (later Standard Oil, today Chevron) acquired adjacent lands and built an oil refineryChevron Richmond Refinery
The Chevron Richmond Refinery is a petroleum refinery in Richmond, California, on San Francisco Bay. It is owned and operated by Chevron Corporation and employs more than 1,200 workers, making it the city's largest employer. The refinery processes approximately of crude oil a day in the...
. The completion of these projects attracted the first residents to this area.
Point Richmond served as the downtown district of Richmond until the city expanded along the central flatlands of western Contra Costa County during the beginning of the 20th Century. This city's expansion led to a larger downtown to the northeast which was exacerbated by tens of thousands of World War II shipbuilding workers. Point Richmond was the terminal of the East Shore & Suburban Railway's Refinery-County Line route; that rail system was a predecessor of the Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
Today maps are provided by the city of Richmond's Convention and Visitors Bureau for individuals to take walking tours of the historic zone. The historic area is now only a small portion of the larger neighborhood but still serves as the center for neighborhood businesses and civic affairs. There was much controversy regarding the inclusion of a Starbuck's café in 2004 as the area had up until that point not had any chain stores, although many residents opposed the coffee shop it opened in that same year and the residents have calmed regarding the subject.
The Historic District is accessible from Interstate 580
Interstate 580
Interstate 580 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 80:*Interstate 580 , a connector in the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5...
, Richmond Parkway
Richmond Parkway (California)
The Richmond Parkway is an arterial road connecting Interstate 580 and Interstate 80 through Richmond, California. The road allows drivers traveling between Marin County and Solano County to bypass central Richmond.-History:...
, Macdonald Avenue
MacDonald Avenue
Macdonald Avenue is the main east-to-west artery in the Oakland suburb of Richmond.-Overview:Macdonald Avenue runs in a straight line from the Richmond Parkway through downtown to San Pablo Avenue, after which it continues as a minor street for a few blocks, ending at Ludwig Avenue in El...
, Cutting Boulevard
Cutting Boulevard
Cutting Boulevard is a major east-west arterial trunk road in the city of Richmond, California it begins in the historic neighborhood of Point Richmond at the base of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and flows through the South Richmond forming the border with that neighborhood and Marina Bay as does...
. AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
bus route 72M MacDonald connects with the Richmond BART and Amtrak Station
Richmond Station (California)
Richmond Station is an at-grade Bay Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak station located in Richmond, California. Each system is served by an island platform. The Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, California Zephyr, and Coast Starlight stop here and connect to BART. The station is currently being rebuilt...
. Golden Gate Transit routes 40 and 42 connect with the station and Marin County; the former serves del Norte Station
El Cerrito del Norte (BART station)
El Cerrito del Norte, frequenly shorterned to del Norte, is one of two BART stations in El Cerrito, California, just east of the Cutting Boulevard interchange of Interstate 80 parallel to San Pablo Avenue and the Ohlone Greenway straddling the Richmond border. Del Norte opened to revenue service on...
.
See also
- Point Richmond - the surrounding neighborhood
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Contra Costa County, California